Sea Girl - The Original
by te amour
Summary: Join Wisty on her original adventure as she unlocks new parts of herself amidst new adventures, new friends and girl trouble. Danger looms all around her, and this time, her enemies aren't the only ones she has to fight... Completed Dec 2017. Non-Wistyverse, Fem!Percy AU
1. I

_Ask and you shall receive! While reading through it, I found that it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined it to be. There's something wonderful about the simplicity of the story and the pace of the development compared to what I write now. Makes for a (mostly) relaxing read._

_Will be updated frequently as this is finished work. Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 1 (Dec 22nd)**

"Wisteria Jackson, daughter of Poseidon and Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, will you join the Hunt?"

Wisty swallowed. She had been expecting this. After all, she was turning sixteen tomorrow, which is in around three and a half hours. That meant she was going to make a choice that will apparently save Olympus, or destroy it. No biggie.

She glanced at Annabeth, who stepped forward. "I apologize, Lady Artemis, but I must decline, for personal...reasons." Artemis nodded in understandings, and Wisty thought she shot a glare at Luke.

Suddenly, all eyes were on her. Wisty's knees felt like they were going to buckle just from everyone's gazes.

She glanced at her father, but Poseidon's face was as unreadable as the ocean. Then, she looked at Thalia and Luke. Luke grinned at her while Thalia nodded encouragingly.

_Do I really want this? _Wisty thought. The idea seemed very appealing: partial immortality, forever remaining fifteen, and be on adventures around the world.

Of course, she would need to turn her back on the company of men and forswear any romantic relationships. But Wisty was fine with that. She wasn't really attracted to boys anyways.

Taking a deep breath, Wisty raised her head and stared straight into Artemis's eyes. "I will," she said.

Poseidon stood up, concern clear in his eyes. "Are you sure, my daughter? Think carefully-"

"I am sure, father," Wisty spoke with resolve. "I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I shall never turn sixteen. Thalia will be the child of the prophecy," she glanced at Thalia, who looked a little pale as she realized how much responsibility was just piled onto her. Wisty felt a little bad for dumping her with the prophecy and running off, but she knew the camp needed more time to prepare for war, so she had to do it.

Artemis smiled at her. "Very well. Repeat after me: I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."

"I-I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis…"

"I turn my back on the company of men."

"I turn my back on the company of men," Wisty recited, her voice growing stronger and stronger.

"...accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

"...accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt," Wisty completed the oath.

"I accept," Artemis said. The room glowed in a silvery aura, which converged onto Wisty and filled her with energy. Wisty felt herself growing slightly stronger, her muscles hardening slightly, her eyesight growing sharper, and she now shone with a silvery aura. Her senses were increased twofold, as if for her whole life she had been sleeping, and only now truly awakened.

She took a deep breath. The air smelled of forests and savannahs and all the wild places of the earth. "Wow," she breathed.

"You look...stronger," Annabeth observed. Wisty gave her friends a small smile.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." She gave them all a hug. When she got to Luke, Wisty whispered into his ear, "Take care of Thalia for me, alright?"

She pulled back and saw that it had its intended effect. Luke's face was as red as a ripe tomato, and he kept opening his mouth and closing it again, like he didn't know what to say. Wisty grinned at him, then retreated to Artemis's side.

During the party, Artemis pulled Wisty aside and handed her a silver tiara, the symbol of the Lieutenant of the Hunt.

"Oh, um, thank you, my lady, but I'm new. I'm sure one of your senior Hunters would like to take up the job." Wisty declined. She actually declined because she didn't want to look like some usurper. She literally just joined the Hunt, she couldn't be Lieutenant immediately.

"Oh, but this is for you, my huntress," Artemis said. "I sense you will do a fine job."

"I'd rather work my way up to the top, my lady," Wisty declined once again. Artemis tilted her head and laughed softly.

"Humble," she mused. "Very well, Wisteria, I shall give this crown to Phoebe."

"I think it's for the best," Wisty told her. Artemis smiled, as if amused.

"Do not underestimate yourself, Wisteria," she told her. "You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"Uh-huh."

"I am not merely praising you. I am speaking the truth."

"Right," Wisty muttered, embarrassed. "When will we go back to the Hunt?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Do you not enjoy the solstice, Wisteria?"

"No," Wisty admitted. "I've never liked parties."

"Hmm. Very well, we shall return immediately."

"What?" Wisty squeaked. "But you don't want to…" she gestured around at the festivities, where all the gods and demigods present mingled freely, drinking and chatting cheerfully, without a care in the world. She spotted Luke dancing with Thalia through the crowd, and smirked when she saw him trip over his own foot. Some things never change.

"No, I am not one for drinking and dancing, I'm afraid," Artemis laughed softly. "I am much more comfortable in the forests and hills."

"I can see why," Wisty acknowledged. "Well...let's go then?"

Artemis regarded her new Hunter with amusement. "You are as blunt as my half-sister," she said.

"Um, sorry?" Wisty offered uncertainly, not sure what she'd done wrong.

A ghost of a smile flickered on Artemis's lips. "There's no need to be sorry, Wisteria. When we are in private, it is fine, but I would rather you acknowledge me by my title in public."

"Of course, my lady," Wisty said. Artemis merely nodded, and grabbed her arm and melted into moonlight. Wisty felt herself falling, then rising. When she opened her eyes, they were in a forest, and Wisty saw multiple silver tents set up in a clearing. The Hunters milling around the camp stopped as they stared at the new arrivals.

"My lady, you're back!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Where...where's Zoë?" she asked. Wisty felt a surge of guilt run through her.

Artemis took a deep breath. "Zoë...is in a better place. If you look up towards the stars, you shall see her."

All the Hunters' heads dropped as they understood the implied meaning behind her words. "She knew…" Phoebe choked out, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Hunters!" Artemis snapped, shocking them out of their daze. "Zoë died an honorable death, fighting her own father and protecting her fellow quest members. We must not dwell over this loss. For now, Phoebe, step forward."

Phoebe stepped forward, and Artemis presented her with the silver tiara. "You are now Lieutenant," she told her, "do well. Do as Zoë would do."

Phoebe straightened, but Wisty caught a flash of irritation and resignation in her eyes as she realized that, however hard she tried, she would never be as good as Zoë. "Of course, my lady."

"Also, we have a new Hunter in our ranks," Artemis announced. "Wisteria Jackson, daughter of Poseidon, has joined us in our hunts."

"Call me Wisty." Wisty stepped forward and gave a little, uncertain wave. Any doubts were dispelled from her mind, however, when the Hunters mobbed her and said their welcomes, along with many hugs and pats.

Phoebe gave her a pound on the back, nearly knocking out her teeth. "Welcome, sister."

Cynthia, their best healer from what Wisty had heard, hugged her. "You will do well, I can tell."

"Uh, thanks," Wisty told the Hunters, who were suddenly grinning deviously at her. "What!" she demanded. "Is there something on my face?"

"Oh, no, not your face," Phoebe laughed. "It's just that...there's a tradition every time a new Hunter joins."

"What tradition?" Wisty asked warily. She could tell that this "tradition" wasn't an outdoor barbecue on the lawn.

"You fight me," Artemis said. Wisty nearly choked on her own breath.

"Excuse me?" she said. The Hunters laughed at her. Wisty was sure her face probably looked about as pale as Hades was.

"You fight me," Artemis explained, hiding a smile, "in a duel to submission. It's an initiation ceremony, if you will."

"Great," Wisty groaned. "I get to fight the fastest and one of the most skilled fighters on Olympus."

"Why, thank you, Wisteria," Artemis chuckled. "Shall we go to the 'arena', huntress?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Wisty huffed.

"No," Artemis smiled wickedly. 'You don't."

* * *

_This was completed in September 2017 and uploaded immediately after every other day. The entire story is around 50k words but took less than a month to complete - it was just me spilling words onto the page. It was a part of my Pertemis craze - still ongoing, of course - and also a way for me to make tangible things that never happened in canon, fix things that made very little sense (Thalia becoming lieutenant, for example), and take my first real foray into writing a story with an original, imaginative plot. _

_Editing this gave me nostalgia, of course, but there's something charming about reading your own work from years ago. To see how you have improved, but also to feel proud of what you did, no matter how terrible you think it is now. To writers who are reading, I suggest you go read your old work. You will certainly cringe but also feel inexplicably happy._


	2. II

**Chapter 2**

"No," Artemis smiled wickedly. "You don't."

Wisty sighed. _I'm so screwed, _she thought. On the outside, she said: "Sure."

Turns out, the "arena" just meant the Hunters packing up their tents and making space in the clearing. Wisty watched as all the Hunters' packed up their respective tents. Wisty was fascinated by the way the tents shrunk into squares of fabric.

"Wouldn't the things inside get squished?" she asked Artemis.

"No, the tents are enchanted with very rare magic, which allows space to exist where it shouldn't," Artemis explained.

"Which one's my tent?" Wisty asked.

"You will get your tent after our duel, Wisteria," Artemis replied. "Follow me."

Wisty followed the goddess into the center of the clearing. The Hunters formed a wide circle around them, effectively shutting off any routes of escaping and bordering the arena.

"Go stand on the other side," Artemis told her as she walked to one side. Wisty did as she told and walked over to the opposite side. Phoebe stepped forward into the center of the circle, between the two combatants, wearing her new tiara.

"The duel will be a duel to submission," she announced. "All kinds of melee weapons are allowed. Wisty will be allowed to use her godly powers. Refrain from fatal/seriously injuring blows. We don't want to waste ambrosia." She winked at Wisty. "Nice vambraces on your arms, by the way. Take out your weapons of choice."

_Oh, it's not just vambraces, _Wisty smiled slightly, but she wasn't about to tell everyone that. The vambrace, apart from its secret function, served as a protection as well as a piece of clothing, the enchanted leather easily bending but unable to be torn, while also preserving warmth, which removed the need to wear a long-sleeved shirt.

Artemis held out her hands to her sides, and two silver hunting knives, each as large as Wisty's forearm, shimmered into existence. Wisty tugged on the emerald staff pendant she wore around her neck, summoning her six foot long bronze staff.

"A staff?" a Hunter laughed. "How are you going to fight with a stick?"

In a way of answering, Wisty twirled it around. The staff morphed into a three foot long Celestial bronze sword, shimmering with an ethereal sea-green light.

Phoebe whistled. "Neat weapon, Jackson. Where'd you get it?"

"A gift," Wisty replied, "From my father."

Phoebe nodded in understanding. "Combatants, ready!" she refereed the duel as if it was a running race. "On your marks...get set...go!"

On the word "go", nobody moved. Wisty dropped into her own, custom stance, her right arm holding her sword and her left arm just behind it, wearing the vambrace. _Not the time yet to show my secret weapon, _she thought.

Artemis dropped into a standard Hunter's stance, her legs bent at a steep angle, one knife held in front of the other. Her silver eyes flashed with anticipation as she studied Wisty's stance. Wisty felt like her gaze went through her body and saw straight to her soul.

"Unique stance," Artemis acknowledged. "But perhaps a little flawed."

_Oh, you just don't know yet, _Wisty thought, and let a smile drift onto her lips. "Thank you, my lady," she said, her sentence unfinished when she suddenly sprang at Artemis with a downward slash, hoping to catch the goddess off guard. Unfortunately, Artemis was much too quick and experienced for that, and she twisted out of the way with relative ease.

"Good try," she said. "An old trick."

"Old but good," Wisty replied as she sprang at Artemis again. This time, Artemis met her sword with one of her knives, stopping it in its tracks before sweeping her other knife in a low cut. Wisty barely managed to jump back out of the reach of the sharp weapon, its edge grazing her jean's legs, leaving a long gash in the fabric.

Sensing her momentary hesitation, Artemis sprang at her again, her knives slashing and whirling at incredible speeds. It was all Wisty could do as she, caught off guard, desperately parried the goddess's slashes. She jumped back, attempting to avoid another slash aimed at her arm, when her left foot caught on a small rock and she slipped, off balance, and fell on her butt.

Some of the Hunters laughed. Phoebe looked sympathetic, but even she was grinning as Artemis closed in on Wisty, her knives flashing brightly in the moonlight. _She's just prolonging the moment, _Wisty realized.

"I believe it is over, Wisty," she smirked. Wisty's mind was working overtime for a solution to get out of this situation. Since Artemis was so close to her, her long sword wouldn't do her much good. She didn't want to activate her vambrace yet, and she couldn't kick up to the goddess, because she remained just outside her legs' reaches.

Then, a solution flashed into her mind. She rarely used this function of her weapon, preferring her sword almost all the time, but since the situation calls for it...

"Are you sure?" Wisty replied as she willed her sword to change. It morphed into a small dagger and she jabbed it at Artemis, who sprang back in surprise, allowing Wisty to roll back onto her feet as her dagger morphed back into a sword.

"I see you still have some tricks up your sleeve, daughter of Poseidon," Artemis growled lightly. Wisty grinned at her.

"Oh, more than you can imagine," she said as she jumped high into the air, her sword changed into a seven foot lance. She pushed off the ground with the lance, reaching even higher altitudes as she somersaulted and swung down towards Artemis, her lance transforming back into a sword. Artemis barely jumped out of the way as Wisty's sword swished in the air where she was a split second ago. Pressing her advantage, Wisty immediately swung sideways at the goddess. Artemis barely managed to block the strike before a kick came, striking the goddess on her sternum and pushing her back.

The Hunters who were laughing a split second ago were now silent. Phoebe had an impressed look on her face. "Good move, Jackson," she called.

"Yes, a surprising but well-performed maneuver," Artemis acknowledged. "Very well practiced."

"Of course," Wisty said, feeling proud at the goddess's praise. She dropped into her stance again as the two fighters reset, circling each other once again.

Wisty knew she couldn't keep this up for long. For one, the goddess had two weapons, instead of her one, and it put her at an obvious disadvantage if she used her sword. Her surprise tactic in her vambraces wouldn't be much good if she revealed it prematurely.

_Well, here goes nothing, _Wisty thought as she willed her sword to turn into its normal form: a bronze staff. The Hunters looked at her incredulously.

"You are fighting with a stick?" One of them exclaimed. Wisty heard some snickers from some Hunters, but Artemis narrowed her eyes.

"Good thinking," she said. Wisty knew she had guessed why she chose the staff over the sword. Twirling it around experimentally, Wisty circled Artemis. Suddenly, the end of the staff shot out, aimed for the goddess's ribcage. Artemis twisted out of its way and, using her sideways momentum, spun into the air and aimed a slash at Wisty, who wielded the staff with two hands. Wisty blocked the slash as a resounding _clang _sounded throughout the clearing. Spinning the staff, Wisty blocked the follow-up from the second knife as they entered a stalemate, Artemis's two knives pushing against her staff.

Wisty knew she had the advantage of reach, so, flicking her staff upwards, she broke the stalemate and forced the goddess to retreat. Wisty stepped forward and aimed a sweeping strike at Artemis's legs, who was forced to jump. Pressing her advantage, Wisty was on her in a flash, her now-a-sword flashing as she rained blows down on the goddess.

However, try as she might, she was unable to land a strike on the millennia-old Olympian. She simply had too much experience with this kind of fighting. Wisty could feel her arms tiring, her blows becoming more sluggish. She needed a surprise, and fast.

Reaching out her senses, she sought after any water nearby. Sensing a pond around twenty yards from the campsite, she summoned a wave of water, which smashed into Artemis, leaving her drenched and spluttering. Using her momentary distraction, Wisty stabbed towards Artemis's chest. Her eyes widened in shock when Artemis, still spluttering, parried her sword. Her stab met no solid resistance and she stumbled, temporarily off balance. Instinctively, she rolled forward, just managing to avoid a slash from Artemis as she came back up to her hands and feet.

"How did you anticipate my stab?' Wisty asked. Artemis's eyes flashed with amusement.

"Sight is not the only sense, Wisteria," she said. "In time, you will learn this."

"Right," Wisty said as she blocked a strike from her. She stumbled from the force of the blow. Glancing up, she saw Artemis glowing brightly with silver.

"It has been a very good spar, daughter of Poseidon," Artemis announced, and her voice suddenly seemed to carry an ethereal echo. "But I'm afraid it has to end now."

"She's using her godly reflexes and strength," Phoebe called. "You're probably finished. No, not probably, _definitely _finished."

"Great," Wisty muttered. "But I'm not going down that easily."

Drawing power from the nearby pond, Wisty felt the winds pick up. Thunder rumbled in the sky, which had been clear a moment ago, and were now covered in storm clouds. Rain started pouring down and drenched the clearing in seconds, along with everyone in it.

"What…" Phoebe muttered. "I thought only Zeus could summon storms."

"Wisteria Jackson, daughter of Poseidon, God of the Seas, the _Stormbringer_, at your service," Wisty grinned. The winds strengthened even more, howling through the nearby woods. Rain whipped around the clearing, nearly obscuring everyone's eyesight. Well, everyone but Wisty. She could see through the storm perfectly clear.

After that, the fight ascended into another level. Wisty slashed and jabbed like never before. Her senses seemed keener, her eyesight sharper. She could see every little detail around her. She could tell when a slash was a feint or real from the subtle way Artemis's muscles tensed. She could predict attacks a moment before they landed. Artemis, with her Olympian-level strength and speed, was almost a blur as she aimed slash after slash at Wisty, but they never seemed to strike her. An invisible force seemed to deflect her attacks whenever they came close.

"Jackson," Phoebe shouted over the howling rain, "How are you _doing _that?"

_Doing what? _Wisty thought. Then she looked down at herself, and realized she was in the middle of her personal hurricane. Clouds of water vapor swirled around her, deflecting whatever attacks Artemis threw at her. Her body was glowing in a sea-green aura.

"The blessing of Poseidon," Cynthia muttered. "I've only ever seen it once before. Her dad must _really _want her to win this fight."

Wisty advanced on the goddess. For the first time, she could see a hint of wariness on her face.

The winds picked up, and Artemis staggered, nearly losing her balance. Wisty slashed at the goddess's legs, and she jumped back hastily.

Impressive at is was, Wisty couldn't keep this up for long, even with some express energy delivery from her dad. She could sense her powers weakening. The hurricane around her was starting to churn more sluggishly, and the rain fell with less intensity than before. The winds slowed down, and some clouds vanished from the sky.

"Tiring there, Wisteria?" Artemis smirked as she slashed at Wisty's arm. This time, the attack was able to break through the hurricane shield and Wisty managed to block it, but she could feel her arms starting to feel heavy.

Deciding on a last-ditch maneuver, Wisty used the last of her strength and concentrated all the water vapor underneath her. She jumped, using her lance as a push-off, the steam boosting her into the air as she dove towards Artemis, her lance falling from her grasp. She smashed her vambrace down on one of Artemis's knives, shocking it out of the goddess's grasp as she caught Artemis in a tight hold. They rolled around in the clearing until finally, Wisty ended up on top of the goddess, who had her other knife held at her throat.

Their faces were millimeters apart, their noses almost touching. Wisty could hear the goddess's quick gasps. She felt her hot breath on her face as they stared into each other's eyes, silver moons colliding with sea-green whirlpools.

_She looks beautiful, _Wisty thought, then mentally slapped herself for thinking such a thought.

An awkward silence stretched out. The storm had stopped, and the skies have cleared once again, allowing moonlight to shine down on the clearing. The Hunters gaped at the pair on the ground.

"I believe it is over," Artemis said with relief, breaking the tension in the air. "I win."

"Not so," Wisty grinned tiredly, and for the first time, Artemis seemed to notice the small bronze blade, poking out from Wisty's left vambrace, pointed against the goddess's heart.

"The fight is over," Phoebe announced, a shocked look on her face. "It's a draw."

Stunned silence stretched out, until Wisty realized the compromising position they were in. Red faced, she rolled off the goddess, stood up, and willed her weapon to return. Her lance, discarded on the ground, shimmered and reappeared in its dormant form, a pendant of a staff around her neck.

Artemis stood up as well, her two knives shimmering out of existence as she stared at Wisty. Wisty thought she was going to get angry at her for using such a trick, but instead, she laughed softly.

"Well played, Wisteria Jackson, even though your father may have assisted slightly." she offered Wisty a hand. Wisty shook it and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"I wouldn't have won if I didn't have my vanguard," she told Artemis.

"Ah, but any melee weapon is allowed," Artemis smiled. "And you kept a surprise in for last."

"I told you, I have more surprises than you can imagine," Wisty replied, grinning tiredly. Artemis's eyes flashed with mirth.

"You certainly do, Wisty," and Wisty realized she had used her preferred name for once. "You certainly do."


	3. III

_I cannot believe I saw an argument about using italics/bold font for author's notes. Does it matter? No, not really. All that matters is to not put obnoxiously long ones and not put any in the middle of the story._

_If you know anyone who really wants to read this version of Sea Girl, tell them via PM or other means. I imagine after a year or so many have forgotten about it. Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Girl, you gotta teach me how to fight like that," Phoebe slapped Wisty on the back, making her stagger as they walked away to let the Hunters reset their camp. "Not many people can push Artemis to use her godly reflexes and _still _not lose. I think Zoë was the last one to do so..." Wisty winced at the former Lieutenant's name. The remaining wisps of smoke from her huge, silver shroud still floated up from the fire. If only she'd been a little faster and stronger...

Wisty could sense multiple glances being thrown her way, and heard many whispers about her powers and her skills.

"The way she flipped around in the air...so cool!" One of the younger Hunters gushed.

"She is skillful, very skillful," one of the older Hunters acknowledged.

Phoebe grinned at her as Wisty sighed and plopped down near a tree, her energy completely spent. She handed her a piece of ambrosia, which Wisty took gratefully, it tasted like her mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies.

_I haven't told my mom yet, _Wisty realized. She'll have to Iris-message her later.

"Must be nice to be a celebrity," Phoebe sat down besides Wisty, who shook her head.

"I hate it," she muttered, but Phoebe heard it. The daughter of Ares raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" she asked. "Why?"

Wisty made an uncertain gesture and frowned. "I...don't know. I've never liked attention, or too much attention. I guess I'm just quiet."

"Attention," Phoebe mused. "Zoë never liked attention either. She was always the quiet type." Wisty winced once again at that name. _Zoë. _The Hunter had been kind to her in the short time they have met. Wisty felt, once again, the tremendous guilt weighing down on her shoulders.

She remembered how she'd gotten knocked down by Atlas and Zoë had sprung forward, firing a volley of arrows at her father. She remembered the sickening _crunch _as Atlas batted his own daughter onto the cavern walls like a Barbie doll.

"It's my fault," she muttered. "All my fault."

"Hey, look, Zoë knew she'd die on this quest," Phoebe patted her shoulder consolingly. "She went along anyways, like the true Hunter she is. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Wisty managed a small, sad smile. "Thanks, Phoebe." _But it is my fault, _she added silently.

"Oh, right, Lady Artemis told me to give you this," Phoebe held out a square of silver fabric. "That's your tent. Well, it was Zoë's, but now it's yours. Go put it down beside mine. There's a free space over there." Wisty glanced over and saw Phoebe's tent, right next to Artemis's. She looked down at the small square of fabric which once belonged to Zoë.

"I can't take this," Wisty shook her head. "I can't take Zoë's tent."

"Listen, Jackson, Zoë _wanted_ you to take it, if she didn't make it and you joined the Hunt," Phoebe insisted. "Are you going to dishonor her by refusing her last gift? C'mon, take it."

_Zoë wanted me to take it? _Wisty wondered. She didn't think the former Hunter had held her in such high regards. "Fine," she sighed, taking the tent and walking over to the space next to Phoebe's. "Uh...how do I open it?" she asked, feeling a little stupid.

Phoebe laughed. "Each tent has a specific password, and are tied to their owners until they leave the Hunt, or, well, die. Currently, this tent has no owner. All you have to do is place it down and say something you want the password to be."

"You sure?" Wisty asked suspiciously, placing the square of fabric down. Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Why would I even bother pranking you about this kind of stuff? Our pranks are much bigger," she grinned, which didn't exactly reassure Wisty. "Now, hurry up and do something. I don't have all day - er, night."

Phoebe retreated to a safe distance, out of earshot, as Wisty contemplated her options. She wanted the password to be something meaningful - something related to Zoë, to honor her memory.

She remembered Zoë's last words. _Stars, _she had whispered, _I can see the stars again, my lady. _She glanced up at the clear night sky, at the brightest constellation of them all. The Huntress.

"Wisty?" Phoebe called. "Are you ok? You've been staring at the sky for, like, two minutes straight."

Wisty ignored the Lieutenant. She remembered what Chiron had taught her, years ago, during Ancient Greek class at camp. _The Greek word for stars, __αστέρια _(pronounce: asteria)_, originates from Astraeus, the Titan of the Dusk, who created the stars which we see now._

Wisty knew what she wanted to name her tent. "_Αστέρια_," she murmured. "The stars."

The square of silver glowed brightly, as if agreeing with her choice. Wisty watched as it expanded into a silver tent, identical to all the other ones around the clearing. Phoebe strode over to her and gave her a thumbs-up.

"There," she grinned. "All done." She gave Wisty a pat on the back and began to walk towards her own tent. "Make sure you get some sleep, the fight must've been draining, and there's a hunt tomorrow, for a rogue werewolf pack. You'll get all your stuff in the morning."

"Ok," Wisty nodded. "And Phoebe, thanks."

The daughter of Ares shrugged. "Hey, I'm Lieutenant. It's my responsibility to look after new recruits," she said as she entered her tent."

Wisty entered her new home and was shocked at how big the tent was compared to what it seemed like when she looked at it outside. A short corridor with a bathroom to its left led the way into the main room. It was at least the size of an executive suite in a five-star hotel. A simple but lush silver carpet covered the floor. A queen-sized bed with white sheets and a silver blanket was placed near the wall of the room to her left, facing her right, which had a blazing fireplace which didn't seem to produce any smoke and burnt seemingly without any fuel, providing the tent with a soft, orange glow.

Curious, Wisty walked over to a closet across from the bathroom and opened it to see racks of silver Hunter uniforms hung up neatly with hanging racks, along with a white bathrobe and white slippers, presumably for when she used the shower.

Entering the bathroom, she registered the silver tiles and the gray walls. She noticed a shower room and a bathtub, along with a sink with automatic taps and soap dispensers. A few strategically placed candles gave the room its lighting. Wisty noticed that in the corner of the room, near the entrance, there was a small rainbow in the middle of a circular cloud of mist, presumably for Iris-messages. She dug out a drachma from her jean pocket and threw it into the rainbow.

"O Iris, goddess of rainbows, show me Sally Jackson in New York." The rainbow shimmered into a picture of her mother sitting on the couch, typing away at her computer.

"Mom!" Wisty yelled into the Iris-message, causing her to turn around, startled.

"Wisty!" her mother cried. "How are you? Are you ok? Did the quest go well-"

"One question at a time, mom," Wisty laughed, and proceeded to explain about the quest. She skipped over the sad parts as much as possible, because she didn't want to relive Bianca and Zoë's deaths. Especially Zoë's.

Finally, she got to the part about the solstice meeting. "So, er...Artemis asked me to join the Hunt, and I did," she finished, looking down at her toes nervously. Her mother didn't respond for a long time.

"Look, mom, I'm sorry I didn't ask you-" Wisty began, but was cut off when Sally smiled at her brightly.

"It's fine, honey," Sally assured her, "I understand why. You'll still visit sometimes, of course?" she asked hopefully. Wisty chewed on her bottom lip.

"I'll ask Lady Artemis if I can," she finally said. Her mother nodded, satisfied for the time being.

"Then everything's fine," she promised. "Enjoy your new life, Wisty."

"You too, mom. What are you doing, anyways?" Wisty asked curiously, attempting to peek at her mom's computer screen. Sally yelped and slammed the screen shut, but not before Wisty caught a glimpse of the Skype app open on her screen.

"Talking to someone, mom?" Wisty raised an eyebrow.

"Er, yes," her mother stuttered. Wisty immediately realized who she was talking to, and rolled her eyes.

"It's fine, mom," she said, exasperated. "Just make sure he's not like Gabe."

"Uh...what are you talking about?" Her mom attempted to cover it up, although the blush on her cheeks are very visible.

"I'm a girl, mom," Wisty reminded her. "I have a sixth sense about these things." She grinned and slashed through the Iris-message before her mother could reply.

"I can see where you get your traits, Wisteria," a voice said behind her. "Your mother is a great woman."

Wisty whirled around to see Artemis standing in front of the entrance to the bathroom, a smile playing on her lips.

"Lady Artemis!" she squeaked. "What are you doing here?"

Artemis regraded her with a mixed blend of affection and amusement. "Why, can I not check on my Hunters?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Wisty hastily corrected herself. "I meant...how did you get in? With the password and all-"

"I'm an Olympian goddess, Wisty," Artemis told her, amused. "I can go wherever I wish."

"Oh, right," Wisty muttered, feeling stupid.

"Who is this Gabe you mentioned, Wisteria?" Artemis changed the subject. "It seems you have a bit of history with him."

Just remembering the disgusting pig made Wisty scowl. "He was my mom's ex-husband."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "I gathered that much. I assume you weren't on the best of terms."

Wisty laughed. "You could say that," she acknowledged. "I haven't seen him for a long time, though."

"And why is that?" Artemis inquired.

"Well, a Medusa head just _happened _to arrive at mom's apartment, and she just _happened _to gain a new statue that day," Wisty grinned. Artemis's lips twitched.

"Yes, I'm sure you didn't mean for that to happen, did you, Wisteria?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not, my lady," Wisty replied smoothly, but Artemis saw right through the lie.

"It is fine, Wisteria. He got what he deserved." she stared at the pool of mist, where the Iris-message was. "I hope this new..._partner_ your mother has found isn't as bad as him."

"Me too," Wisty sighed. "I _can _visit her sometimes, right?"

Artemis pondered her request. "Normally, I would not allow Hunters to visit their mortal families, but since you are a special case…"

Wisty held her breath as she waited for the goddess's decision. After what seemed like an hour, but realistically was only a minute, a smile flickered across Artemis's lips.

"I will allow you to visit her, when the Hunt is not active," she granted. A huge smile broke across Wisty's lips.

"Thank you, my lady," she grinned. Artemis regarded her with an unreadable expression, her silver eyes staring straight into her soul.

"You will make an interesting Hunter, daughter of Poseidon," she mused. "Very interesting indeed."

* * *

_Confession: I've never watched a single episode of Game of Thrones. I really want to. But in the meantime, I'll just rewatch Endgame, many times. _

_Excelsior!_


	4. IV

_This was a point in the story when I felt like I allowed my own wishes to get the better of me. Extremely powerful weapons/powers are not uncommon for fan fantasies, and that was the case for me. Katharos and Kardia are great additions, but I didn't know how to handle them. I think I did okay in terms of a first attempt in the story, but certainly, in the currently ongoing Sea Girl, I'll try to reshape/rework/redefine them._

_As always, happy reading! Watch Endgame if you haven't. Seriously. And the entire MCU._

* * *

**Chapter 4 (Dec 23rd)**

"Wake up, Jackson."

"Wake up, Jackson!"

"We're going on a hunt!"

"Your hair's on fire!"

"THERE'S A HELLHOUND IN YOUR TENT!" Wisty couldn't care less as she turned onto her stomach and desperately tried to cling to that amazing dream about surfing with a pug.

Dimly, she heard a sigh, and after that came the resounding _thwack _as someone smacked her painfully on her backside. Her eyes snapped open and she whirled around in her bed to stare into the grinning face of Phoebe.

Wisty groaned. "Was that really necessary?" she demanded sleepily, rubbing the dryness out of her eyes.

"Well, considering you're having your first hunt in around an hour, and you haven't eaten breakfast, yes," Phoebe told her.

"How'd you even get in my tent anyways?" Wisty sighed as she slipped out of the bed and walked over to the closet, picking out a fresh set of silver uniform: a silver T-shirt with a silver parka over it. She pulled the parka on over her shirt and vambraces. "I thought the tents were intruder-proof."

"Lady Artemis has access to all the tents," Phoebe said. "She teleported me in here. What were her exact words? Ah, to _wake her up using any methods you wish, _as I recall." She grinned at an unamused Wisty, who huffed in annoyance as she pulled on her ripped jeans.

"Where's breakfast?" Wisty heard her stomach rumble in anticipation. She hadn't eaten since...well, yesterday night, but that's not the point.

"Come on, I'll show you," Phoebe walked out of her tent. Wisty, after pulling on her steel-tipped combat boots, followed the daughter of Ares to the middle of the clearing, where a long table was stretched out, and a barbecue stand was standing right next to it. Wisty didn't recognize any of the meat on the sizzling metal surface.

The Hunters were already up and about, grabbing plates and serving themselves with the public forks set near the barbecue. Wisty glanced at the meat, sizzling with fat apprehensively.

"You sure these are edible?" She asked Phoebe, who laughed. A few other Hunters snickered at her question.

"Don't worry, Jackson," Phoebe promised. "That's bear meat, and that over there is venison, freshly hunted yesterday. It tastes great, I promise."

Hesitantly, Wisty tasted the bear meat. It tasted delicious, almost like beef, with a hint of wild berries in it.

"Why does the bear meat taste like wild berries?" She wondered out loud to no one in particular. Cynthia answered her.

"A bear's meat tastes like their last meal," she told her. "We got lucky yesterday and killed the bear as it was eating blueberries. If it was eating fish, we would've had to discard it due to the strong taste." Wisty nodded in understanding. She grabbed some more bear meat along with some venison and greenery (she wasn't sure what the plant was) and went to sit next to Phoebe.

Hesitant as she was, the meal tasted delicious. The green-leafed plant tasted better than any homemade salad she'd ever eaten, and she especially liked the barbecued venison. Soon, Wisty was filled to the brink. She felt like if she ate any more venison, she'd probably explode.

"Come, Wisteria," Artemis said as the goddess finished her meal. The only difference was, the Hunters drank fresh water, while Artemis had a glass of nectar. "It's time to find you a bow."

Wisty let out a small groan as she stood up from the long bench. Phoebe snickered and slapped her on the back, nearly causing her to empty up her breakfast. She glanced at the goddess, hoping for some sympathy, but she only saw amusement in her eyes.

"That, hopefully, will teach you to not eat too much," Artemis smiled as Wisty trudged heavily towards the auburn-haired goddess, weighed down by the food in her stomach. She followed Artemis all the way to the corner of the campsite, where a larger-than-usual tent stood.

"This is our armory," Artemis explained, "Have a look inside."

Carefully, Wisty brushed aside the tent flaps and peered inside. She was shocked, not only by the absolute size of the armory, but also by the number of weapons inside.

The armory was at least as big as the one at Camp Half-Blood, if not larger. Hundreds of unstrung, silver bows rested on the bow racks. A small bucketful of bowstring sat right beneath it. Sweeping her gaze across the wall, Wisty noticed the hundreds of silver hunting knives all seemed to be facing a partner.

"All of our knives are forged with another, forming a pair," Artemis explained. "Mine is the original Hunting Knives of Artemis, forged by my brother Hephaestus in his forge, cooled in the River Acheron, the River of Woe. All of these knives-" she waved her hand at the knives hung up on the wall, "-are copies of my blade, forged by the same Cyclopes who made my father's master bolt, along with your father's trident and Hades' Helm of Darkness. Each one is nearly identical, yet slightly different."

Wisty took a closer look at some of the knives. Most of them were wickedly curved, and all were as long as her forearm. Each of them looked extremely sharp, like they could slice through monsters like hot butter.

But she also noticed the subtle differences. Like how some knives hooked slightly at the end, or how some knives had slightly less curvature. Finally, she noticed a lone knife sitting in the corner along with a bow, which glowed softly in the dim lighting of the armory. Slowly, as if in a trance, she walked over and stared down at it.

Artemis followed her gaze, and her expression became guarded. "Ah, I see you have noticed Katharos and Kardia."

"Pure and heart," Wisty immediately translated. Ancient Greek came easily to her, due to her half-blood heritage.

Artemis nodded. "Yes, their names together is translated as the pure-hearted one. It has been sitting inside our armory for many millennia. "

Wisty glanced at the duo with a newfound wariness. She wondered if it was cursed. "Uh...a few thousand years? Then why aren't they, well, dusty?"

Artemis smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. They were filled with wariness and something else...hope? "The blade and bow remain untainted by dust and ashes, due to the enchantments on it. They are the most powerful weapons we have."

"They are?" Wisty asked, feeling stupid. "Than why hasn't anyone, well, taken it?"

Artemis stared at the weapons, as if willing for it to disappear. "Their enchantments were made in ancient times...older than even the gods. The days when the First was creating the universe and the Primordial gods roamed the world. Even I do not know the full extent of the magic in them…" she trailed off, deep in thought, until Wisty coughed into her hands.

"Ah, yes, my apologies," Artemis said. "As I was saying, Wisty…" she stared into her eyes with a piercing gaze, as if searching her soul. "Even the gods do not know the full extent of the magic put on the blade. The enchantments are both a blessing...and a curse. They seem to have a mind of their own, and rejects anyone who dares to touch it. Many have tried to claim them...none have succeeded."

Wisty's mouth suddenly felt very dry, and she swallowed with difficulty. "No one has succeeded? _Ever? _Including you?"

Artemis nodded. "I have tried, but I cannot touch them. It burns any god's touch, so only mortals can attempt to claim it. Many Hunters here have tried. Cynthia, Phoebe, and many others. I believe Zoë almost succeeded...but in the end, they rejected her."

Wisty glanced down at the glowing weapon apprehensively. If it had rejected even Zoë, what chance did she have?

But the bow and the knife seemed to beckon to her. For some reason, she felt an urge to grab them. She felt connected to the pair, as if they were saying: _Come, take me. Take me now._

She reached out slowly towards the knife. Artemis frowned. "Wisteria…" she warned. "It will be very painful if you don't succeed."

Wisty barely heard the goddess's warning as her trembling hand stretched closer and closer towards the knife. The weapons glowed more intensely, as if inviting her. Artemis stared at the knife.

"Interesting," she murmured. "I have not seen that big of a reaction, _ever._ Perhaps…"

Wisty's hand reached the long knife. Trembling with anticipation and fear, she closed her fingers around the hilt.

Nothing happened for a second. Artemis's expression became hopeful.

Then, the pain erupted. Wisty screamed. She felt like someone was pouring lava onto her hand. The burning agony slowly spread from her hand, up towards her arms as the knife and the bow glowed brighter. Wisty tried to let go of the knife, but her fingers wouldn't respond to her command, as if they were superglued to the handle of the knife.

"Wisteria!" Artemis cried, and attempted to grab her, but a blinding flash of light threw the goddess halfway across the room. She smashed painfully onto the tent floor.

The pair of weapons glowed even more intensely. Wisty could barely form a conscious thought as the burning spread slowly throughout her body, reaching down towards her toes and high up into her head. She felt the heat invading her mind, searing her nerves and scorching her brain. She felt the fiery blaze licking at her heart. Dimly, she heard voices outside, shouting something, but they sounded far away, as if they were yelling at her from the top of a ten-story building. She could make out Phoebe's voice screaming at her to let go, to let go, but her fingers wouldn't budge.

The light turned blinding. The burning pain intensified another tenfold. Wisty felt as if there was a blistering flame consuming her soul, devouring her whole being. Her vision blurred, and she sank to one knee, unable to remain standing.

Then, suddenly, the pain stopped, just as quickly as it had started. Her vision cleared, and she was able to move her fingers once again. Her body no longer felt like it was being burnt alive. The weapons dimmed down to what it had been before Wisty touched the knife.

"Wisty!" Phoebe cried, running up to her. Wisty realized that she was able to be touched again. "Are you alright?"

"I think I'm…" was all Wisty could manage before her vision darkened. She felt herself falling into someone's arms, before all conscious thought evaporated from her brain, and she sank deep into a void of darkness.

If Wisty was going to endure extreme pain and then black out, she hoped that at least her dreams would be pleasant. Unfortunately, they were anything but.

She dreamed of San Francisco once again, except this time, she was on a different mountain. The peaks of the mountain range afforded a stunning view of the Bay Area, and Wisty could see the peak of Mount Tamalpais shrouded in mist across the Golden Gate Bridge, but she couldn't begin to appreciate its beauty. Turning around, she saw a small cave, in which a giant, humanoid figure wearing a suit, nearly as tall as Atlas but perhaps not as buff, leaning on a double-edged sword, around a foot longer than Wisty's pendant, made of celestial bronze and...was that mortal steel? Wisty knew from Chiron that production of such weapons was strictly prohibited. Of course, the Titans, assuming this man was a Titan, had no regards for rules whatsoever, but still...what use did they have for mortal steel on a blade?

Wisty heard a scream coming from further inside the cave. Creeping forwards, she brushed past the man into the inner regions of the cavern. What she saw, well, wasn't pleasant, in the least.

Annabeth Chase, her body battered and bruised, her t-shirt and grey jeans tattered and matted with blood, was chained to a large boulder at the end of the cave. A Cyclops and a _dracaena _stood in front of her, whips in their hands stained with dried blood. As Wisty watched, the Cyclops raised his whip and lashed out at Annabeth. With a resounding _crack, _the whip left yet another long gash on her chest as Annabeth arched her back and cried out in agony.

The giant man looked amused as he watched the scene unfold. Wisty felt a burning rage inside her heart. How dare they commit such sins against a girl? How _dare _they harm one of her friends?

It took all of her resolve not to either stab the giant or run as he stepped towards Annabeth, a smug smirk on his face. "Well, daughter of that _wisdom _goddess? Have you decided?"

Annabeth raised her head. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and she had a long gash from her left ear all the way to her jaw, still bleeding. "My mother's name is _Athena, _Titan," she spat venomously.

The Titan looked angered by the mention of Athena. "That _wisdom _goddess's name is not _worth _me even mentioning! She claims she is the wisest, that she knows all. But do you know who _I _am?" he leaned close to Annabeth's face. Annabeth spat at him defiantly.

The Titan snarled and wiped away the spittle on his face. "I am Koios, you weakling daughter of 'wisdom'! The Titan of Intellect, the embodiment of thought! I _am _literally the mind, and you would do well to show respect-"

Suddenly, he stopped and stepped back. For the first time, Wisty noticed the golden sarcophagus she had seen on Mount Tamalpais, glowing with a harsh light. "My apologies, brother. Forgive me for getting carried away." Koios apologized. He turned back towards Annabeth and took a deep breath.

"So," he spoke in an even, controlled tone, but Wisty heard the underlying menace. "Have you decided?"

"Yeah," Annabeth rasped, her bloodshot grey eyes burning with determination and fury. 'Same answer.' Koios threw back his head and laughed.

"Very well, Annabeth Chase," he boomed a little too cheerfully, and mocked a deep bow to her. "Your wish is my command. Monsters, return to your duty. I'll be back in five days to see if there's any...change. If not, I will have to use...more forceful means." He chuckled wickedly.

Suddenly, he whirled around and stared straight at Wisty, even though she was invisible, or so she thought. Wisty noticed for the first time how similar his eyes were to Annabeth's. They were both grey, but Koios' eyes were a much darker shade, nearly black, while Annabeth's and Athena's were much brighter. Wisty felt a chill run down her back as she stared straight into these eyes, shimmering with power and glinting with evil.

"Well," Koios grinned maniacally. "It seems we have an unwanted visitor."

Wisty's heart pounded. He couldn't possibly know she was here. She stood, paralyzed, as Koios waved his hand dismissively. "Don't bother," he said in a bored tone. "I am the Titan of the mind. I can sense dreams," his voice suddenly dropped to a growl.

Wisty stood, frozen, as the Titan inched ever so closer, his hand gripping his huge sword menacingly. Unconsciously, Wisty's hand drifted to her waist and her fingers tightened around the handle of something.

Trembling, she spared a glance down to see her hand had grabbed the silver knife she passed out from in the armory. _Kardia, _she remembered its name. Slowly, she held out the long knife towards the Titan, who hissed and took a step back when he saw the blade.

"So," he growled. "I see that cursed blade has chosen a new owner. No matter, you do not know how to use its power." He started coming towards her once again. Wisty, paralyzed in fear, didn't move a muscle. Her hand gripped the knife even harder as drops of cold sweat ran down her forehead. How that worked in a dream, she'll never know.

The Titan smiled evilly as he raised his sword up high. "Say goodbye, daughter of Poseidon."

Suddenly, Kardia glowed brightly. Wisty felt her mind clear of paralysis, her limbs once again able to function. She rolled aside just as the Titan's sword cleaved the ground where she had been milliseconds ago. Swiftly, she jabbed the knife into the Titan's side as he struggled to wrench the sword from the ground. He stumbled back, his sword still embedded in the rocky floor of the cave. Golden ichor dripped from his side where the knife had wounded him. He stared at it in shock.

"Perhaps not today," he snarled. "But soon, child of the sea, you shall feel my wrath." With that, the Titan erupted into black flames and disappeared.

Wisty felt herself disappearing as well. She tried to rush forward, to save Annabeth, but it was too late. She felt her consciousness evaporating, her vision dimming as she struggled forward. Soon, the dream won, and she fell into an endless abyss of darkness.

* * *

_The main problem I have with this version is that each chapter feels insubstantial, simply storytelling, with abrupt and sudden chunks of emotional interior monologuing. Not to say that storytelling or monologuing are bad things, but I'm trying to weave them together more. _

_One thing I felt I did well was not falling into the trap of dumping exposition when describing the knife and the bow. Often writers feel the need to explain everything, sometimes to clarify confusing expression, sometimes because they're excited to introduce the thing which is being explained. An exhaustive explanation, paradoxically, takes away meaning from whatever is being explained. Better to allow readers to discover the traits on their own._


	5. V

_This fandom gives me headaches. No other fandom of comparable size has so many stories based on the same trope - not only that, the storylines are identical and the characters too. Putting your own minor 'spin' isn't enough to make a story interesting when it's still the same as every other thousand stories of the same plotline and development, nor is saying 'it'll be different!' in the summary going to do anything._

_I encourage everyone reading this to come up with original ideas. Don't write guardians, Percy forced to live w/hunters, and harems, etc. anymore just for the numbers unless you are absolutely certain you can change something so significant that it will be original. I can't demand everyone to write well, but creativity is something we all have. Use it._

_As always, happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Annabeth!" Wisty's eyes snapped open. She bolted upright and promptly smacked into something hard. Falling forward, she smashed into the person and they collided with the ground in an _oof. _She groaned as her vision slowly returned to her and noticed who she'd smacked into.

Artemis, in her eighteen-year-old form.

Wisty's face grew red as she realized that this was the second time she was lying on top of the goddess in as many days. Artemis's face looked as impassive as ever, but Wisty thought she saw a flash of...amusement? Affection? Exasperation? Possibly all three.

"Oh," Wisty muttered as she rolled off hastily. She was in a tent, presumably the medical tent, judging from the multiple silver beds and medical supplies. "Um, sorry, my lady."

Artemis waved it off as she rubbed her forehead slightly. "It is fine, Wisteria. Did you have a dream?"

"A dream…" Wisty thought back, hard, and her vision suddenly returned to her. "Annabeth! She's captured somewhere in San Francisco by some Titan named Koios."

Artemis looked troubled by the news. "The Titan you mentioned is one of the most powerful ones, Wisty. Back in Kronos's 'Golden Age', four Titans controlled the four corners of the earth. Koios was one of these Titans, the Titan of the North. He was their strategist, their planner, their mastermind behind their movements. The fact that he escaped Tartarus so soon is...disturbing, to say the least."

"We have to save Annabeth!" Wisty insisted.

"And she will be saved, cousin," Artemis assured her. "I assume that Camp Half-Blood will soon learn of this as well. They will send out a quest."

"_We _have to save her," Wisty half cried, half demanded. "It will be too late once Camp finds out."

"And why is that, daughter of Poseidon?" Artemis cocked her head to one side, her silver eyes flashing curiously. Wisty thought she looked cute when she did that. Then she berated herself mentally for thinking such a thought about her goddess.

"Wisteria?" Artemis called. Wisty realized she'd zoned out. Blushing, she hastily composed her features.

"Sorry, my lady," Wisty apologized, her face still red. A flicker of a smile played on Artemis's lips.

"All is forgiven, my huntress," The goddess assured her. "Now, please tell me why there is no time for Athena's daughter?"

"The Titan said something about coming back in five days," Wisty explained. "He said he'd have to use 'more forceful means' if she still doesn't agree to...whatever he has planned. I can't imagine what that might be," Wisty shuddered. "She was already chained and being tortured, my lady. A Cyclops and a _dracaena _whipped her. Her body was...was…" Wisty took a deep, shuddering breath as she tried not to break down at the memory of Annabeth's broken body.

Artemis's face darkened like a thundercloud. "You will pay for harming a brave maiden, Grandfather," she swore. Wisty stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Uh, did you just say Koios is your grandfather?"

"Does it surprise you?" Artemis asked. "Koios is the father of my mother, the Titaness Leto. Surely, you have grown used to the immortal family tree by now."

"No, I haven't," Wisty admitted. "Just thinking of you as my cousin...feels weird."

Artemis laughed softly, her voice carrying out like jingling bells. "Yes, I prefer to not overly dive into the mysteries of our gigantic, dysfunctional family. Anyways, rest assured, Wisteria. The Hunt has always operated on its own. We will find Annabeth Chase," she promised.

Wisty blew a sigh of relief. At least she knew she would be actively doing something to try to save her friend. "Thank you, my lady."

"It is what we do, rescuing young maidens," Artemis assured her. "Now, let's put that topic behind us for now. I am here for...more immediate matters."

_More immediate matters? _"Uh...what are these 'more immediate matters'?"

"Look at your vambraces," Artemis advised, gesturing towards her arms. Wisty glanced down at her vambraces. They didn't look any different. The plain, bronze leather looked as it always had been, just leather, not showing any of its magical properties.

"I don't see any difference," Wisty muttered. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Look again, Wisteria," she instructed. "Observe carefully. It is an integral part of being a Hunter."

Wisty concentrated on her arms once again. This time, she sensed something different. Under the dim lighting of the medical tent, the vambraces seemed to glow slightly with a silver aura. Peering closer revealed a new Ancient Greek word etched into each vambrace. The word on the left read _καθαρός, _while the one on the right read _καρδιά._

"Katharos and Kardia," Wisty recognized. "The bow and the knife from the armory. But why…"

"They have chosen you," Artemis smiled, her eyes staring at Wisty with pride. Wisty felt herself blush under the goddess's gaze. "You are now their chosen champion."

"Uh-huh," Wisty glanced apprehensively at the newly upgraded vambraces. "So how do I get them out?"

"Ask," Artemis replied simply.

"_Ask?_" Wisty demanded. "How?"

"These weapons are not just weapons, Wisteria," Artemis explained. "They are more like conscious, living beings. They have a mind, and they chose you as their champion, the pure-hearted one. I imagine...if you ask nicely, they will appear."

"I'll try, I guess," Wisty stared at the glowing armor pieces. "Let's hope it doesn't burn me again."

"It will not," Artemis promised. "The burning is a test, the weapons searching your mind, heart and soul to determine if you are worthy. I imagine you should be able to handle them now with little problem."  
Wisty sighed. "Might as well try. Hey, Katharos and Kardia, uh, thanks for choosing me as your champion, I guess? If you two could please show yourselves, that'd be nice. Thanks."

Wisty felt pretty stupid talking to her own vambraces. She felt even stupider when the vambraces didn't react at all.

"Perhaps they did not hear," Artemis suggested. Wisty tried asking nicely again, to no avail.

"Ok, look here, Pure and Heart," Wisty sighed in exasperation. "I know you guys are like super powerful weapons and stuff, and you chose me as your champion, whatever that means. But I won't be much use if, you know, you don't actually let me use you."

The vambraces glowed brighter, as if chuckling, but no millennia-old weapons appeared. Wisty was beginning to feel irritated.

"If you guys don't appear in around five seconds," she snapped, "I don't care if I'm your 'champion' or whatever, I swear I'll find some way to painfully extract you from my vambraces."

Wisty didn't really expect that to work, but suddenly, a bow and a knife shimmered into existence on her bed. The engravings on Katharos, the bow, read "_móno gia tous áxious_" - _only for the worthy_, while the engravings on Kardia, the knife, read "_Glykini, protathlitís tis iméras_" - _Wisteria, Champion of the Day._

"Finally," she groaned. The weapons glowed, as if laughing. Wisty glared at them. Tentatively, she picked the knife up, then the bow. Nothing happened. She didn't feel any special powers, but at least she didn't get burned. "I don't feel any different. Aren't they meant to give, like, overpowered abilities or something?"

"Supposedly so," Artemis mused. "Perhaps you have not bonded with them well enough yet."

Wisty pulled back the bowstring experimentally and yelped in surprise when a silver-tipped arrow appeared out of nowhere.

"That would be one of its abilities," Artemis said. "It saves you from having to carry a quiver on your back."

"Neat." Wisty swished the knife around experimentally and found that, when it was in motion, it glowed a harsher white aura. Shrugging, she put down the knife and screamed when a silver fire tore through the sheets. Artemis quickly waved her hands and doused the fire. The sheets un-burnt themselves and everything settled back into what it had looked like before.

"Be careful," she warned. "Over time, your control over them will increase, but right now, the weapons are unpredictable and wild." Katharos and Kardia glowed, as if indignant. "Now come," Artemis ordered, walking towards the exit of the tent. "You missed the morning hunt. It is now dinnertime."

"I'll be right there, my lady," Wisty called as she stared at her new weapons, willing them to return to her vambraces. In a flash of silver, the weapons disappeared, and her vambraces regained their new, silver glow.

Wisty stood still for a while, as she pondered today's events. She was going to her first hunt - then suddenly, _bam, _a millennia-old knife burns her and chooses her as their champion, alongside the bow. She had dreamt about one of her best friends captured and tortured by a Titan who is Artemis's grandfather. She had woken up and somehow managed to tumble onto Artemis _again_, whom Wisty still wasn't sure why she was the one there. She had assumed that it would be Phoebe or another Hunter, because she thought Artemis would have much more important things to do than worry about a new Hunter.

Artemis. Her mistress was so...calm. Composed at all times. She never seemed to lose her cool in any situation. Wisty remembered the goddess fighting the Titan Atlas...it was as if her form shifted with every attack, morphing into tigers and lions and bears and leopards - yet never losing her gracefulness and agility. The goddess's quick thinking had managed to free Wisty from under the sky and force the Titan's curse back onto Atlas.

The only time Wisty had seen Artemis unsettled in the slightest was right after the battle, before Zoë passed away. Her face remained emotionless, but Wisty saw the depth of grief and sadness over the loss of her dearest Lieutenant, who had served her faithfully for thousands of years. She had been so upset that her body had flickered with silver light. Had Artemis not managed to control herself, Wisty was sure she would've accidentally unleashed her divine form and vaporized anyone with their eyes open.

Wisty knew that Zoë could not be replaced completely, by anyone, ever. Phoebe would do her best, but Wisty knew that she could not replace Zoë in the Hunters' - and in Artemis's - hearts.

The daughter of Ares has quickly become one of Wisty's closest friends in the Hunt, despite her dislike for the arrogant god of war. She had helped her settle in nicely - along with her sisters, but Phoebe had been the one who explained everything to her - along with Artemis.

With a start, Wisty realized that unconsciously, she had already begun to think of the Hunt as her home. Sure, Camp Half-Blood was a nice place and a safe haven, but Wisty never felt like she belonged there, in her empty cabin, without any siblings to look over - or to be looked over by. Now, she had a dozen sisters whom she hoped would have her back - as she would have theirs. It was a sense of belonging she never had, not at her mom's apartment with Gabe, not at Cabin Three, but here in the Hunt.

"Wisty?" Wisty started as Phoebe's voice tore through her thoughts. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" she called back as she headed towards the exit of the medical tent. She couldn't wait to begin the hunt for Annabeth - and the Titan Koios - because nobody hurts her friends and gets away with it. Nobody. Wisty vowed that she would stop them - or die trying.

But for now, she had a dinner to enjoy, with a new family, in a new home with new sisters. Wisty smiled slightly as she slipped out of the tent and strolled towards the dining area. Whatever happened, she was home, and that's all that mattered.

* * *

_I do appreciate reviews. Don't feel pressured to leave one, but ultimately a message from the readers mean more than favorites and follows._

_Also if you're new, check out Sea Girl. It's a reboot of this story. Ciao!_


	6. VI

_There are some good Pertemis stories - Gambit's Refrain, That Color Silver, and others. This is old work; I wouldn't classify it as particularly good. I've got two other stories of the same ship, except one of them is canon Percy. The other one is a reboot of this series from scratch. I encourage you all to check it out._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 6 (Dec 24th)**

"They must agree, right? They're not going to leave Annabeth to die." Wisty paced anxiously around the campsite, twirling a tendril of water around her fingers, manipulating it to make different shapes and forms. Phoebe laughed as Wisty made a miniature sculpture of the Gingerbread man.

"You're going to burn a hole through the ground if you keep pacing," she told her. Wisty huffed but stopped pacing and instead sat down against the trunk of a tree.

"I'm just worried," she sighed. Phoebe patted her shoulder sympathetically.

"Look, I doubt the Council will want one of their smartest demigods and best fighters in the hands of the Titans," she said. "They will agree. And, even if they don't, I think we'll go regardless. Artemis has never been a sucker for rules."

"What was that, Lieutenant?" A voice sounded from somewhere behind them as Artemis appeared in a flash of silver, making the pair flinch. "I have never been a what for what?"

"Nothing, my lady," Phoebe muttered. Artemis laughed.

"It is fine, Phoebe," she told her. "Wisteria, your control of water is remarkable. I am impressed."

"Thank you, my lady," Wisty grinned. "How long have you been watching?"

"For a few minutes," Artemis replied. "The Council agrees to our plan. Annabeth Chase is indeed missing from Camp Half-Blood. We shall begin our Hunt this instant."

Wisty breathed a sigh of relief as Artemis turned towards the rest of the Hunt and announced the same message. Within minutes, all the tents were packed up and pocketed, and the Hunters stood to attention in a circle around Artemis. Wisty stood next to Phoebe as they listened to Artemis's instructions.

"We shall head to San Francisco," she announced. "And look for a mountain near the Bay Area."

Muttering broke out in the Hunters' ranks. It was where Artemis was imprisoned, after all, merely days ago. Artemis held up a hand to quiet them.

"We must be careful," she continued once the ruckus had died down. "For the foe we face is formidable. He is a Titan."

Muttering broke through the Hunters once again, this time louder. Some of them looked pale at the prospect of facing a Titan. Artemis held up a hand, and this time, it took a few seconds longer for everyone to calm down.

"Wisteria has dreamt of the mountain. Wisty, if you could explain."

Wisty took a deep breath and explained what she had seen in her dream. She included everything, including Annabeth's torture, the Titan's words, and her tussle with him. The Hunters all looked outraged that someone would treat a maiden with such brutality and utter disregard.

"We shall be heading west from our position, for around three days, on car," Artemis continued. "That should leave us with enough time to save the daughter of Athena. Girls, I apologize for dragging you all into this. I would have done this by myself, alone, but…" she took a deep breath, and Wisty realized she was remembering Zoë's death. "...I have learned my lesson," she finished in an emotionless voice. "Wisteria, please identify which way west is."

Wisty frowned. How was she meant to identify which way west was? She glanced up towards the sky, but the thick canopy of the forest blocked the position of the sun effectively. "I don't know," she admitted.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "No, you do know. Identifying the directions is a key part of being a Hunter. Try again."

Wisty sighed inwardly. She had no idea how she was going to identify the direction. Glancing down at her vambraces, she hoped the ancient weapons could be of some help.

Suddenly, her left vambrace, which contained Katharos, the bow, glowed brightly. Wisty suddenly felt calmer and more concentrated. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her senses instinctively, and her vision floated high above the roof of the forest and rose up into the sky. Quickly, she identified the position of the sun, which was to her top-right hand side. Since it was morning, that would mean…

Opening her eyes once again, Wisty turned around and pointed. "That direction," she said. "That's west."

"Well done, Wisteria" Artemis praised. "Perhaps not the way I expected you to do it, but well done regardless. It seems your new weapons have many mysteries left to uncover. Hunters, move out!"

Wisty groaned wearily as, for the thousandth time, she heard another Hunter whispering about her new weapons over the intercom.

"Look, I know my new weapons are really cool, but please, turn off the intercom if you have to talk about them," she grumbled. The offending Hunter muttered a hasty sorry before turning off her intercom.

"Hogging all the attention again," Phoebe teased. "You seem to have a knack for attracting attention, Jackson."

"Believe me, I don't want to," Wisty sighed as she gripped the black leather wheel of the Jeep sleepily. Technically, she was now allowed to drive at sixteen, since her birthday had been yesterday, so Phoebe had grudgingly shared the wheel with her. The pair had switched regularly, each person catching a few hours of rest each time. Currently, Wisty was maneuvering the Jeep through the plains of northern Indiana, as shown by the GPS system, and the flat terrain had not provided many challenges, and as a result, she was hovering on the brink of sleep. "It's not my fault the weapons chose me."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Y'know, if I was chosen by ultra-powerful weapons to be their champion, I'd be pretty damn happy."

"I guess I'm glad they chose me," Wisty conceded, letting go of the wheel for a moment and patting her vambraces, which flared slightly in acknowledgment. "But I'm not glad for all the attention that came with them."

Phoebe shrugged. "With great power comes great responsibility. Wait, no, that's not what I meant to say. With great power comes great...attention."

"Yeah, good one, Phoebe. Real smooth," Wisty complimented sarcastically. "You'll be the next Socrates in no time."

"Philosophers," Phoebe scoffed. "Socrates was a jerk. I met him once." she wrinkled her nose. Wisty was once again reminded that the teenage girl next to her was, in fact, thousands of years old.

"You say that about all guys," Wisty pointed out. Phoebe chuckled.

"You have a point there," she admitted. "Hey, want to switch again? You've been driving for a few hours and you look ready to pass out."

"Sure," Wisty sighed as she stepped on the brakes, allowing a few more Jeeps to roll past them. She opened the car door and stepped out, stretching to get rid of the stiffness that had invaded her limbs. Phoebe grinned at her as she walked over to her side.

"Getting old, Jackson?" she teased, and Wisty was about to come up with a snappy reply before a low growl caught her attention.

"Did you hear that?" she asked Phoebe, who nodded.

"Something's near," she said. "Watch out."

The two girls stood warily back-to-back. Wisty summoned her staff, willing for it to turn into a sword. Another growl, much louder this time, shook the ground beneath them.

"That sounded like it was…" Phoebe frowned as she tried to decipher the direction of the growl. "Below us."

"It's underground!" Wisty cried as all Hades broke loose. Another growl, this time nearly directly below them, shook the earth. Wisty somersaulted aside, and Phoebe rolled hastily as the ground beneath them erupted, dust thrown into the air. When the dust cleared, Wisty found herself staring at a giant, two-headed dog with a serpent's tail.

"Cerberus?" she muttered. The dog seemed to hear the name, because it stiffened and turned in her direction. Oops.

"This is not Cerberus!" Phoebe yelled. "This is Orthrus, its brother, nearly as powerful and twice as fierce. Call the rest of the Hunt while I hold it back!"

Wisty glanced once again at the beast, who suddenly turned its attention to Phoebe when a volley of arrows hit its side, but they didn't seem to affect the dog very much except to annoy him. Turning around she dashed into the Jeep and smashed the intercom button. "Lady Artemis, Hunters! This is Wisty, we're engaged in battle with some two-headed dog. We need help!" she screamed at the dashboard as outside, the Orthrus pounced at Phoebe, who just managed to roll out of the way of the claws.

"Hold your position, Wisteria," Artemis's voice crackled over the intercom. "Hunters, turn back!"

Not waiting for any further instructions, Wisty dashed outside once again and managed to land a slash onto the dog's enormous hind legs. She stared uncomprehendingly as the wound knitted itself and disappeared.

"You must deal a fatal blow for it to have effect!" Phoebe shouted as she attempted to shoot at the beast's heart, but it swatted the arrows aside. Wisty desperately tried to recall how the dog had been slain in the myths, but the only thing she came up with was that Heracles killed it. Very helpful.

Wisty willed her sword to change into a seven-foot lance as she jumped and attempted to spear one of the dog's heads. Bad move. She barely avoided a fatal blow as the dog snapped at her with its razor-sharp teeth. Wisty twisted mid-air and felt the dog rip off her silver parka as she landed on one leg. She felt her ankle twist and she yelped as pain shot through her right leg. It definitely was at least sprained, if not worse.

"Wisty!" Phoebe cried as the dog turned its attention onto her. It snarled, saliva dripping from its two foaming mouths. Phoebe shot another volley of arrows, but that only served to annoy the beats even more. It turned around to face the daughter of Ares and pounced.

Wisty watched in horror as Phoebe drew her two hunting knives and held them up just as a black shadow of teeth and claws slammed into her. She stared helplessly as the older Hunter struggled underneath the weight of the giant two-headed canine. Any time now, the Orthrus would break through her failing defense and she would be ripped into pieces.

Suddenly, her vambraces glowed, and Wisty suddenly found Katharos in her hands. The throbbing pain in her injured ankle dulled. Her senses sharpened. She was aware of every single spittle that flew out of the monster's mouth. She could see every little drop of perspiration on Phoebe's face, and the way her muscles tensed desperately to try to push the mastiff off of her. She could hear the _vrum _of engines as the rest of the Hunt closed in on their position, and she smelt the pleasant aroma of the forest at dawn, after a night of rain.

A sea breeze passed through the plains, cooling Wisty's body, and streaming her long, black hair behind her. Her body shone softly with a silver-green aura. The blessings of two gods, her father, and her mistress. She stood up and took the archer's stance.

She glanced at the glowing bow dubiously. She'd never been good with a bow. In fact, Wisty believed that she was the only person who'd managed to shoot the wrong target three times in a row back at camp.

But she had no choice, and no time to hesitate. Murmuring a prayer to Apollo and Artemis, the twin archers, Wisty sighted, drew back, and shot in one fluid motion, smoother than any shot she'd ever shot before. Time itself seemed to slow down as the arrow flew tantalizingly slowly through the air. With a decisive _thud, _the silver-tipped arrow struck the beast in its heart. The sheer force of the arrow managed to shove the Orthrus aside and allowed Phoebe to roll aside as the beast, still skidding from the force of the shot, disintegrated into dust, its essence returning to Tartarus, until all that remained was the skin on its tail.

Katharos shimmered, and disappeared, along with Wisty's enhanced senses. The sea breeze stopped, and the green glow vanished from her body. Suddenly, she felt exhausted, and the throbbing pain in her ankle returned. She felt unbearably hot, and cold sweat ran down her back and sides. Knees buckling, she fell forward and felt a strong arm hold her up by her stomach.

"Rest, my huntress." Dimly, as if through several thick curtains, Wisty heard Artemis's faraway voice. "You did well." A surge of pride went through Wisty's weary body when she heard these words. She felt herself getting scooped up and stared into two beautiful pools of moonlight.

She felt a smile drift onto her parched lips as her vision darkened. _Your eyes are beautiful, _she wanted to say, but her lips wouldn't respond. For the second time in as many days, Wisty felt weightless, as if floating in space, as she descended into the murky mist of sleep.

Wisty dreamt again in her sleep.

This time, she was on Mount Tamalpais once again, in the cavern where she had fought the Titan Atlas. In the cavern where she had held up the sky. In the cavern where Zoë was killed by her own father.

The ruins of Mount Othrys looked almost identical to when the battle had taken place, but Wisty noticed subtle differences, such as how a few more pillars had risen, and the walls looked a little more complete. The Titans were rising, and with them rose their old home and palace.

She noticed Atlas grunting and sweating underneath the burden of the sky. "Uncle, I am your best fighter!" he bellowed, and Wisty noticed the glowing golden sarcophagus she had seen on the Princess Andromeda a few months ago. A peal of cold laughter swept through the ruins.

"You have failed me, Atlas," Kronos's voice said coldly. "And I do not give second chances."

"But-" Atlas tried to protest, but a wave of coldness suddenly invaded the room, seeping into Wisty's bones and freezing her blood. That also effectively shut Atlas up, which she was quite grateful for.

"Krios," Kronos's voice said, and a man stepped out from the shadows. "What does my brother say about the girl?"

"She is unrelenting, brother," Krios replied, and Wisty realized he was another Titan. "She does not wish to yield, no matter what he does. It is frustrating him."

The golden sarcophagus glowed a harsh, white light. "No matter," Kronos growled. "It is only a matter of time."

"Koios has given the girl another five days to decide," Krios said. "After that, he will use other means, if necessary."

"Excellent," Kronos laughed evilly. "And what of that hunter goddess?"

"They have managed to defeat the Orthrus, I'm afraid," Krios said. "The new Hunter, the daughter of Poseidon, has gained the attention of Hemera's weapons. That may prove troublesome."

Kronos remained silent for a moment, then spoke again. "I am sure Koios would not fail." he laughed wickedly once again. "I will take the girl, willingly or unwillingly." the golden sarcophagus shone blood-red. "Beware, granddaughters," he growled menacingly. "I am rising. The last piece of the puzzle is in our grasp. Soon, your cursed camps shall tremble underneath our might, and Olympus will be left stranded without their puny heroes." _Camps? _Wisty frowned. As far as she was concerned, Camp Half-Blood was the only camp for half-bloods. So what did Kronos mean by "camps"?

Then her dream switched. Wisty dreamt that she was at the Big House in Camp Half-Blood, and the cabin counselors crowded around the ping-pong table. The Poseidon table was empty (as expected). Luke and Thalia were both present, and Thalia's eyes looked puffy and red, as if she'd been crying. In Athena's chair, Malcolm Pace, Annabeth's second-in-command, looked cold and emotionless, and Dionysus looked as disinterested as ever. The general atmosphere was grim. Even Clarisse, who would normally be sharpening knives with her dirty boots on the table, slumped in her chair tiredly.

Chiron stomped his hooves to gain the campers' attention. "Counselors, I am sure you are all aware of what has happened. Annabeth Chase, head counselor of the Athena cabin, has disappeared."

"We must lead a quest to find her!" Luke banged his fist down on the table, his clear blue eyes burning.

"The Hunters have started their journey," Chiron said. "I believe Wisty has dreamt of another mountain, near San Francisco once again. She is being held captive by a Titan."

Thalia scowled. "Another Titan," she growled. "When I get my hands on him, I swear I'll-"

"Calm down, Thalia," Malcolm said, his voice stiff and dispassionate. "We must think logically about the situation."

Thalia whirled around to stare at Malcolm in the eyes. "Calm down? _Calm down? _Annabeth is your sister! Are you going to just _leave her?_"

Malcolm stiffened. "Don't you dare accuse me of such a crime," he growled.

"Thalia and Malcolm, please calm down," Chiron placated, and Thalia whirled around to stare at him.

"You too, Chiron?" she shouted. "I can't _calm down _when my best friend is about to die! Can't you see-"

Luke put a calming hand on Thalia's shoulder, and, surprisingly, she calmed down. "Chill, Thals," he soothed. "We'll find her, I promise."

Wisty rolled her eyes. They couldn't make their feelings for each other more obvious if they shouted it to the whole camp. A couple of counselors noticed this as well. Clarisse raised an eyebrow, and Beckendorf grinned. Silena squealed in excitement until an electric glare from Thalia successfully shut her up.

"It remains to be discussed," Chiron continued, "whether we should send out a quest. As you know, the Hunt and Lady Artemis does not like us interfering with their business."

"It's not just their business," Thalia snapped. "It's our business as well."

Dionysus raised an eyebrow, looking up from his wine magazine and taking a sip of Diet Coke. "The Hunters would see you as a hindrance," he pointed out. "Especially you, my dear sister."

Thalia glared at the potbellied wine god, but he had already returned to his wine magazine.

"We shall have a vote," Chiron decided. "All in favor of sending out a quest to San Francisco once again?"

All the hands went up, except for Chiron, who wasn't in the vote, and Dionysus, who appeared to have not heard. Chiron sighed and stroked his beard, as if he expected this and was not happy about it. "Very well," he said. "We shall have a quest."

"I'll lead it," Luke announced. His gaze swept around the room and dared anyone to argue. Nobody did.

Chiron sighed. "Very well. Luke, you may go consult the Oracle." Luke opened his mouth to respond, but when he spoke, it was Phoebe's voice:

"Wisty, wake up!"

* * *

_Sorry, this is late. I've no excuse because it's completed work. I was just lazy._

_Leave some reviews, even if this _is _old work which I probably won't touch. Always good to have some feedback. Ciao!_


	7. VII

_I remember being so proud of this chapter - I think it's the longest one so far. From here on my standards for both the length and the content of my chapters got progressively higher._

_I noticed that I was focusing so much on the romantic development in this story, to a point where it felt almost totally believable to me, but realistically a virgin goddess for three thousand years wouldn't be wooed by a girl who's sixteen and just joined the hunt days ago. Still, I am proud of everything I've tried and accomplished (to some degree) in the story, including a mostly coherent plot, some interesting ideas, emotions, and overall originality. _

_I think the plot is great and will use it for the second arc of the currently ongoing _Sea Girl, _after some edits and general improvements. _

_Originality - as far as I know, no one's done a story straight after the Titan's Curse on fem!Percy's hunting adventures. Rescuing Annabeth is redundant and will need to be changed. New foes (Orthrus, Krios), an original route to Mount Tam - I think these are all good. _

_Emotions - as simple as they are in this story (happy, sad, panic, anger), I feel they are authentic. Of course, sophisticated layers of emotions are often more developed and realistic, but I think every character reacts reasonably to events according to their personality. This is something I will build on for _Sea Girl_._

_I'm ranting, so I'll stop. Happy reading! I also like reviews. So, please review._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Wisty, wake up!"

Wisty bolted upwards, her eyes snapping open. "Huh? What? Where?"

"Relax," Phoebe told her. "You're in our Jeep. It's fine."

Wisty looked around, and, sure enough, she was sitting in the Jeep. Phoebe was on the wheel to her left, and from her pale face and the dark bags underneath her eyes, it was clear she'd been driving for quite a while.

"You look about to crash," Wisty said. "Let me drive."

Phoebe rolled her eyes and scoffed. "_I _look about to crash? Look at yourself, Jackson. You look like you've been run over by a giant dog, which, we were, but still."

Wisty glanced down at herself. Sure enough, she looked like trash. Her hunter's parka had been removed - ripped by the Orthrus, if she recalled correctly. The t-shirt she wore underneath was covered in dirt and grime. Her jeans had a new, unintentional gash. Her vambraces, surprisingly, had remained untainted by anything. They were completely clean and glowed softly in the dim lighting of the Jeep at night.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Let's see…" Phoebe mused, putting a hand on her chin in a thinking gesture. "We fought the Orthrus late afternoon around five - thanks, by the way, good shot - and currently it's...twelve o'clock, sharp, so you've been sleeping for roughly around seven hours, maybe a little more. We're currently in the northern plains of Missouri already. "

"Great. There goes my sleep schedule," Wisty muttered. She tried to shift into a more comfortable position and winced when she put weight on her right leg. Pain shot up from her ankles, although Wisty noticed that it was significantly less painful than before. She glanced down to see her ankle wrapped in glowing bandages.

"Yeah, you sprained your ankle," Phoebe said. "Nearly broke it. Lady Artemis fixed you up. Don't pull a stupid stunt like that again."

"Sorry," Wisty sighed. "But that dog was tough. Nearly invincible."

"Don't be, you saved my life." Phoebe grabbed some beef jerky from an open bag to her right. Wisty reached left and grabbed some too, her stomach rumbling. The last time she ate was last noon.

"Still don't understand how that happened," Wisty said through a mouthful of beef jerky. "I suck at archery."

"You looked really cool, you know," Phoebe grinned. "Your hair was blowing backward from the wind and you glowed with green and silver. You looked a lot like a goddess when that happened."

"Thanks," Wisty mumbled, slightly abashed from the praise. "Probably because of my bow though." She patted Kardia on her arm. It glowed in response. "Still don't know why my dad blessed me then. I mean, I don't think his blessing would really help me shoot."

"Maybe he just wanted you to look cooler." Phoebe shrugged. "Here, drink some nectar." Wisty accepted a flask of the godly drink and sipped slowly from it, savoring the taste of her mom's chocolate chip cookies. She felt her weariness lifting, and warmth spread through her body.

"Thanks," she sighed in contentment. She suddenly remembered her dream. "_Vlacas,_" she muttered. Phoebe looked at her curiously.

"What?" she asked. Wisty shook her head.

"I need to talk with Lady Artemis," she said. Phoebe raised an eyebrow and pushed the intercom button.

"Lady Artemis? Wisty is awake. She wants to talk to you." she called into the car's microphone. A few seconds later, Artemis's voice crackled over the intercom.

"Of course, Wisteria," she replied. "I am glad to see you awake and well. What do you need to talk about?"

And so Wisty recounted her dream about Kronos and the meeting at camp. Artemis remained silent for a few moments when Wisty finished, processing the information.

"That bodes ill," Artemis finally said. "Krios is the Titan Lord of the south. The fact that so many Titans have risen already is troubling, added to the fact that we may face more than one of them at San Francisco."

"And that camp is involved in this," Phoebe added, rolling her eyes. "They'd just be hindrances." Wisty laughed, and Phoebe looked at her weirdly. "What?"

"That's what Dionysus told them," Wisty explained. "That you'd see them as hindrances."

"And you don't?" Phoebe scoffed. "Especially that boy-"

"Relax, Phoebe," Artemis commanded. "The Titans are formidable, and as loathe as I am to admit it, any help at this point would be beneficial. And as far as the male species goes...I suppose the son of Hermes is tolerable," she conceded. "Wisty, send an Iris-message to them when we stop for the night. Tell them to meet us at the Westfield mall in San Francisco."

"Sure, my lady," Wisty replied dutifully.

"If that is all, we'll be stopping for the night and resuming our journey tomorrow morning. The Missouri plains are quite beautiful in the dawn," Artemis said. "Phoebe, relay the message to the others."

"Yes, my lady," Phoebe said. "Anything else?"

"No, that is all," Artemis said. "And, Wisteria?"

"Yes, my lady?" Wisty replied, confused. What could Artemis possible want to say to her?

"I am flattered that you consider my eyes beautiful," Artemis told her in a deadly serious voice, but Wisty could just imagine the trace of a beautiful smile floating around on her lips. The goddess pushed a button, and the intercom shut off. Wisty felt her face heat up as a grinning Phoebe punched her playfully on the shoulder.

"Eyeing up our goddess, Jackson?" Phoebe laughed. Wisty shot a glare at the daughter of Ares, who remained unabashed with a grin that could rival Luke's when he pulled off a successful, big prank.

"No-uh-what? Did I actually say that?" she spluttered, trying to form a coherent sentence and finally succeeding. Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Artemis carried you to her car along with me. When she was treating your ankle and feeding you nectar, you woke up with a stupid smile and told Artemis her eyes looked beautiful, then fell back asleep. I think Artemis's blush was _nearly _as big as yours currently," she explained.

Wisty groaned and wiped her hands up her face, attempting to get rid of the blood in her cheeks. A feeling of panic and dread was rising up in her chest, making it hard to breathe. She couldn't possibly like the goddess in _that _way, could she? Then again, Wisty had never been attracted to boys. Maybe this was why.

"Don't tell anyone," she muttered to Phoebe. "Please."

"Relax, Wisty, I'll keep your little secret," Phoebe patted her shoulder. "It's not the first time something like this has happened."

Wisty stopped rubbing her flushed face and turned to look at Phoebe. "Excuse me?" she demanded. "Not the first time?"

Phoebe appeared to be thinking. "Yeah, not the first time. Our oath swears away males, remember? Says nothing about girls. Anyways, there are actually a few couples here, not that you'd notice because most of them like to keep it discreet. Cynthia and Naomi have been together for...let's see, she joined a few decades after me, and started dating a few centuries later, so...around one millennia? Something like that."

"And Artemis allows them to?" Wisty asked. Her previous feeling of apprehension was now replaced with curiosity. Obviously, there was more to the Hunt and its Hunters than what meets the public eye.

Phoebe shrugged. "Yeah, she allows them to, as long as they don't cross the line, if you know what I mean." Wisty's face reddened at what the older huntress was implicating. "As long as you're still a maiden, it's fine. Of course, if you cheat on the other girl...well, that's the end of your time here, so to speak."

Wisty felt like whistling, but she restrained herself. "Damn. Millennia? That's a long time to be dating. I didn't even know being gay was a thing back then."

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "It was, just not as obvious, because in the old days...well, things were a lot tougher for women and queers. Even today, some mortals refuse to accept it...but anyways, not the point."

"What point?" Wisty asked.

Phoebe looked slightly sympathetic. "The point is, Artemis allows these relationships to exist, but she's never been in one herself. There were rumors of her and Zoë...but that was never confirmed. As far as I know, none of us have been able to catch her attention, so to speak."

Wisty felt discouraged, but she was mainly relieved that she wouldn't get kicked out of her new home. She'd deal with one problem at a time. Wait, discouraged? That meant she really was...romantically attracted to the maiden goddess of the Hunt, who just happened to be her cousin. Great. Just peachy.

"This is a mess," she moaned, running a hand through her long hair. Phoebe punched her arm.

"Hey, don't be so down," she comforted. "Just because she hasn't had a relationship for five thousand years doesn't mean she won't ever have one."

"Thanks," Wisty replied sarcastically. "That makes me feel a whole lot better."

Phoebe shrugged. "Hey, I'm trying my best. The weapons you have existed for longer than the gods themselves and rejected everyone until you. I don't dare say this around my lady, but I think she likes you."

"Right," Wisty rolled her eyes. "And Kronos will dance around in his boxers on Olympus while holding a NERF gun during Christmas Eve."

"I did _not _need that image in my head," Phoebe muttered. "But anyways, did you see how worried she was when you got burnt by the knife? Most people won't notice, but I've been in the Hunt for nearly as long as Zoë, and I can read her pretty well. Her eyes were...panicked, to say the least. And when you called her beautiful - well, the blush on her face could supply an entire hospital with blood supplies for the next year and a half."

Wisty pondered this. Could it be true? Did Artemis really feel any form of attraction towards her? Wisty decided that even if she did, she'll probably never show it, and Wisty would never know. "Maybe," she shrugged.

"Pay more attention," Phoebe urged. "Watch how she acts around you. You two would make a great couple."

Wisty stared at her. "A _couple?_ So you're supporting this-"

"Hades, of course I am," Phoebe grinned. "I might be a Hunter, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good, romantic love story sometimes."

"And you say you're a daughter of Ares," Wisty muttered, but Phoebe either didn't hear, or couldn't be bothered to respond.

"Girls, stop by the next stream," Artemis's voice commanded over the intercom. "We'll be stopping for the night there."

Wisty peered over the dashboard into the darkness. Sure enough, she could just make out the stream a few hundred meters in front of them through the headlights of the Jeep. "There," she pointed. Phoebe nodded in understanding.

"By the way, did you know you drool in your sleep?" The older girl asked. Wisty groaned and put her face in her palm again.

"And I suppose Artemis saw that as well?" she muttered.

Phoebe grinned. "Of course she did."

* * *

Wisty chose a spot near the creek to set up her tent. Being near water has always helped her think and calm down. She figured the gurgling of the water rushing by would clear her head and help her sleep.

Wandering around the campsite, she noticed the tents had been set up in a ring around a blazing campfire, which gave off no smoke and required no fuel, just like the smaller fireplaces in their tents. She also noticed the fact that Artemis had chosen to set up her tent next to hers.

While everything was being set up, Wisty took the time to send an Iris-message to Luke, as Artemis had requested. He had smiled tiredly and agreed to meet up with the Hunt at Westfield, and also informed her that Nico had disappeared, and that he was a child of Hades. Wisty was surprised, but she knew Hades hadn't broken his oath, since Bianca and Nico had been from the past.

Worrying for Annabeth must've taken a lot out of Luke, so Wisty decided not to grill him for the prophecy he must have received just yet.

Since they didn't have fresh food due to their time on the road, Artemis had grudgingly allowed everyone to eat whatever they wanted via magical paper plates and cups, not unlike the ones at camp. Upon hearing the news, Wisty had immediately summoned and devoured a double cheeseburger along with fries and a cup of blue Coke. Artemis had raised an eyebrow when she saw the cup of Coke.

"Coke is unhealthy for you, Wisteria, especially oddly colored ones," she had said. Wisty had given her a grin and replied with:

"So is being deprived of your drug." She thought she'd get scolded for making such a comment, but Artemis merely laughed it off and wandered away to talk with the other girls. For some reason, she was in her teenage form, around seventeen or eighteen, instead of her usual twelve-year-old body. Wisty noticed Cynthia and Naomi discreetly holding hands while whispering to each other. Artemis had smiled slightly when she noticed.

Finally, after everyone had finished their dinner, they all gathered and sat crossed-legged in a ring around the campfire. Wisty was busy finishing off her burger and arrived slightly later than everyone else, opting to leave her shoes in the tent for the lush grass underneath her. She noticed that the only vacant space was in between Phoebe and Artemis. Phoebe gave her a nearly imperceptible wink when Wisty sat down, making Wisty blush. She was glad for the campfire to cover up the red tint on her cheeks.

Artemis made a small gesture, and suddenly everyone had skewers of marshmallows in their hands. They roasted s'mores and talked and played like one big, happy family, reminding her of the sing-alongs at Camp Half-Blood. Wisty did miss camp and her friends quite a bit, but it was rather like transferring schools. This was her family now. She belonged here, in the Hunt, with her sisters.

"Do you normally do this?" Wisty whispered to Phoebe, who had been staring into nothingness. The daughter of Ares jerked in surprise.

"Jeez, don't do that, Jackson. No, we don't normally do this, but today - well, yesterday technically - is Christmas Eve, isn't it?"

Wow. Wisty didn't even realize it was Christmas Eve. So much had happened from when she arrived at camp that the prospect of Christmas had been put to the back of her mind. Yesterday was December the 24th, but since they missed twelve o'clock, she supposed this would have to do. Not that she was complaining.

"Look up, Wisteria," Artemis advised, and Wisty complied. What she saw took her breath away.

The sky was filled with bright stars. The entire Milky Way stretched out before Wisty's unbelieving eyes, giving the dark night sky a purplish tinge. Millions of small, white dots surrounded a dense, white cloud of light as the moon shone right next to it. The silver sphere seemed especially large tonight.

"Wow," Wisty breathed.

"Wow indeed," Artemis agreed. "You do not get to see this in the city lights of New York. Mortals have polluted the earth in every possible way - even natural light has been tainted. Few places remain in the world where we can gaze upon the stars like this."

"The moon seems bigger and brighter tonight," Wisty remarked. Artemis smiled in acknowledgment.

"I am in a good mood," she replied.

"Why is that, my lady?" Wisty asked.

"Because I am here in my domain, the night in the wild, with the moon shining down upon us, gazing upon the stars, spending time with my Hunters…" Artemis looked like she wanted to say more, but apparently decided against it.

"Aren't you meant to be in the moon chariot, like Apollo is in his sun chariot?" Wisty asked curiously.

Artemis shook her head. "Our chariots are set to a set course through the sky - we do not need to be present. We are only ever in them if we wish to be - and frankly, I don't, most of the time. Although I could easily split off some of my essence to drive the moon chariot, I prefer most nights to remain fully with my Hunters."

"So you're saying that Apollo drives the sun chariot because he feels like it?"

"Yes, in a sense," Artemis admitted. "He loves his Maserati Spyder. He acts like a child."

"He is still your brother," Wisty pointed out.

"Yes, and he is an overprotective _little _brother," Artemis sighed. "He acts like a big brother, but I was born first."

"Are you sure?" Wisty raised an eyebrow, putting on a perfect poker face. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I helped deliver him, for Zeus's sake," she groaned. Wisty grinned and gave Phoebe a fist bump. She noticed all of the Hunters staring at her.

"What's wrong?" Wisty whispered to Phoebe, who grinned good-naturedly at her.

"You might be new," she explained, "but you look older than almost everyone here. The younger ones see you as an older sister."

"_What?_" Wisty demanded. "An older sister?"

"Yes, Jackson," Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

"Alright, fine," Wisty huffed, not really sure about the whole "older sister" situation. "But that doesn't explain why they're staring."

"First of all, you held a casual conversation with Lady Artemis," Phoebe leaned in and whispered. "Not a lot of Hunters can do that. Also, they're waiting for you to SING, AM I RIGHT?" The daughter of Ares suddenly hollered, and a cheer emitted from around the campfire.

"I'm going to _kill _you for this, Phoebe," Wisty half whispered, half growled in Phoebe's ear, who's grin just grew louder. She stood up and with a flourish, announced:

"Jackson here just told me she would _love _to sing to you girls, isn't that right, Lady Artemis?" she asked, clearly expecting a specific answer. Wisty pleaded with her eyes, begging the goddess to disagree, to say 'I don't believe so', but no such luck. Artemis completely ignored her gaze and smiled.

"Yes, I believe so, Phoebe," she said in a perfect poker face. Wisty glared at her and saw the tiniest hint of a smirk twitching the corners of her lips.

Resigned, she turned back to the rest of the circle. "Girls, I really don't-"

"Nonsense," Naomi grinned. "A pretty girl like you can't _possibly _not know how to sing, isn't that right, Cynthia?" she elbowed her girlfriend, who yelped and nodded furiously in agreement. Slowly, the rest of the circle started catcalling.

"Come on, Wisty!" Celyn, another senior Huntress, yelled.

"Wisty, puh-lease?" Isabelle, who was just eight years old and hasn't taken the full Hunter's oath yet, preferring to grow up a bit more, pleaded.

"Sing, Wisteria," Artemis urged. "You have a beautiful voice." Wisty blushed. Did the goddess really think that? Or was she just saying it to get her to sing?

Sensing the remnants of her reluctance slowly dwindling, Artemis played her trump card. "Wisteria...as a favor to me?"

Wisty hesitated. Technically, Artemis could have ordered her to sing. But, she voiced it as a _favor, _and somehow that made Wisty feel compelled to do it, as if she wanted to impress the goddess_._

"Fine," she sighed. "But you owe me one, my lady." Standing up, she gazed around the circle of expectant teenage girls. Her knees felt like jelly. She was sure she was going to throw up any time soon.

"What do you all want to hear?" she asked. A heated debate broke out between the Hunters until Artemis put a hand up.

"You can choose," she smiled at Wisty encouragingly. Phoebe pushed her unceremoniously to the center of the circle, next to the campfire.

Wisty thought about the limited repertoire of songs she knew. She'd never been terribly big on music like Thalia, who listened Green Day 24/7. She barely knew any lyrics, much less songs.

"I don't really know many songs," she admitted. "Demigod life doesn't give you a lot of time to follow your favorite pop bands."

"Well, you have to sing something," Phoebe insisted.

"Maybe some other time," Wisty declined. "Unless you somehow know a song and can teach it to me in three seconds."

The girls complained some more, but Artemis held up a hand. "Fine, Wisteria," she conceded. "But you _will _sing next time."

"Of course, my lady," Wisty breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down again. The Hunters looked disappointed, but soon normal chatter resumed. Wisty cheered along with the other Hunters as Naomi and Cynthia shared a rare kiss. Apparently, that was a rare occurrence. Wisty stared at the pair of lovers as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, Cynthia's blue eyes colliding with Naomi's multicolored, kaleidoscope ones. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to just lean to her left a tiny bit and press her lips to Artemis's full, red ones-

_Whoa, Wisty, getting way ahead of yourself. _Wisty felt her face flush for the third time that night. She felt like now that she'd admitted her feelings to herself, somewhat, everything was getting out of control. It wasn't like she had never thought of it before, but never in such detail, and never with such hunger-

_Ok, Wisteria Jackson, you need to chill. Figure out your love life later. First, save Annabeth, _Wisty told herself. She couldn't be worrying about her small personal concerns when one of her best friends was being tortured, potentially about to die or...something. The Titan Lord wanted something from Annabeth, what that thing was, Wisty wasn't sure, but it probably wasn't a friendly chat with tea and cookies.

Absorbed in her thoughts, Wisty started to nod off, despite having a seven-hour nap before. The fight had really taken a lot out of her. The Hunters' voices around her became hazy and indiscernible as the warmth of the campfire dulled her senses, and she allowed drowsiness to overtake her. Blinking, she tried to stay awake, but her eyelids refused to open, as if they were glued together. She felt her head hit something slightly bumpy, and soft...a pillow, maybe? She couldn't care less as sleep overtook her once again and she drifted off into the realm of Morpheus.

* * *

Phoebe was the first one to notice the daughter of Poseidon falling asleep on Artemis's shoulders. Artemis tried her best to remain impassive, but the goddess couldn't completely fight off the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks or the small smile that adorned her lips. Grinning, the daughter of Ares turned to the other side and whispered to the next Hunter, pointing towards the pair discreetly, and her eyes widened. Pretty soon, all the conversations had died down as the entire Hunt stared at their mistress and the young huntress sleeping on her.

"Naomi, why is Wisty sleeping on Lady Artemis's shoulder?" Isabelle asked, her young face full of innocence and curiosity. Naomi grinned at the small girl.

"She is tired," she told her, and Isabelle yawned while nodding.

"I'm tired too!" she exclaimed. "I want to go to sleep."

"Here, Bella, I'll tuck you in bed," Jasmine, a Hunter who's been in the Hunt for nearly a century, stood up and scooped Isabelle into her arms. The sound of Isabelle's giggling as Jasmine tickled her could be heard as the pair headed off to the tents.

The Hunters refocused on Wisty and Artemis. The black-haired girl had a small smile on her face, and a thin line of drool leaked out of the corner of her mouth onto Artemis's hunting parka, but Artemis either didn't notice or didn't mind. Absently, she held her closer and stroked Wisty's hair with fondness in her eyes, as if the girl was someone she never wished to let go.

The Hunters exchanged a few amused looks, but remained silent. That is, until Phoebe had to ruin the tranquil atmosphere that had descended upon the campsite by coughing loudly, not able to resist a jab at her mistress.

"Getting soft, my lady?" she said with a smug smirk. "The last time someone slept on your shoulder was after the Battle of Dresden during the Napoleonic Wars, as I recall, and that was because she was heavily wounded in battle."

"No, Lieutenant," Artemis replied stiffly, her hands sliding off Wisty's hair as she realized all her Hunters were watching, which elicited a small whine of complaint from the girl, which made the circle of girls snicker with amusement. "I simply do not have the heart to wake her up. She has had a tiring day."

"That is literally what 'getting soft' means, Lady Artemis," Phoebe replied with a devious grin. "Perhaps you have a soft spot for our new girl."

"Nonsense," Artemis denied, but a few whistles and catcalls could still be heard. Deciding that enough was enough, Artemis clapped her hands loudly. Instantly, the whole circle silenced as they trained their attention onto the goddess.

"It is getting late, girls," Artemis announced. "Go to sleep. We have to move again early tomorrow." Some girls grumbled, but they trudged obediently to their respective tents, Phoebe giving Artemis one last wink before she headed off.

Artemis shot the retreating form of her Lieutenant a half-hearted glare before returning her attention to the girl passed out on her shoulder, her black hair sprawled messily over the goddess's shoulder, arm, and chest. Her face was relaxed, without the stress that it showed during the day. She looked like an angel with her peaceful face and beautiful smile. As she watched, Wisty growled softly and buried her face deeper into the crook of the goddess's neck, grumbling at whatever she was dreaming about.

Artemis smiled slightly as she carefully adjusted the girl so that she was on her lap, and carried her towards Wisty's tent. Gently, she knelt down next to the bed, lowered the girl down and tucked her in, but was surprised when the daughter of Poseidon hugged her neck tightly, refusing to let go. When she tried to pry her fingers off her, Wisty whined plaintively, causing the goddess to stop what she was doing and laugh softly. She felt a stirring in her heart, a feeling she hadn't felt since...since Zoë as she gazed down at the sleeping girl.

"Oh, what are you doing to me, Wisteria?" she sighed. She felt the girl smile against her neck and glanced down, wondering if she had heard, but Wisty was still asleep, a small dribble of saliva drooling out of her mouth as she grinned goofily at whatever she was dreaming about, a small blush on her cheeks.

"Does my shoulder really feel that comfortable?" Artemis teased, not expecting the girl to hear, so she was surprised when Wisty's eyes snapped open, her sea-green orbs dark from sleep, reminding Artemis of the calm oceans underneath the night. Her eyes widened as she realized what position she was in.

"Oh, gods, my lady, I'm so sorry-"

* * *

_When I first joined I tried to portray myself as this incredibly sophisticated, serious, formal writer. As time passed that got tiring, and I found it trivial. So, now you see me saying things like 'Happy reading!' and 'Ciao!'. It's a lot more fun, and also more comfortable to do._

_There's absolutely no need to make yourself seem smarter than you are. People see through these facades in an instant. _

_As always, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Ciao!_


	8. VIII

_This was...something else. I was younger and possibly crazy. I was also trying to set up a conclusion for when the entire Wisty trilogy ends. The idea and much of the execution is from Shrrgnien - a brilliant author who doesn't seem to be active anymore. Who knows, I might still use this sometime..._

_Happy reading, as always!_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Wisty didn't remember falling asleep, but she did _vividly _remember her dreams.

She was inside a silver room, which was definitely not one of the Hunters' tents. She assumed it was Artemis's palace, due to the walls looking like marble and solid silver, with carvings of Artemis and her adventures over the years: the goddess chasing a giant deer with huge antlers, her killing the Chimera with her hunting knives and bow. Wisty recognized a detailed carving of Zoë standing on the walls of Troy, shooting arrows down upon the soldiers of Greece. She also noticed the biggest piece, a carving of herself, holding up the sky as Artemis battled the Titan Atlas. She didn't know how it was on there, because the battle had only been less than a week ago, and Artemis hadn't returned to her palace since then, but she felt honored to be worthy to be on the goddess's wall.

There were two large windows, but they were closed. Wisty spotted snow-covered roads and houses outside, contrasting starkly against the dark night sky. It must have been winter.

In the dream, Wisty was sprawled over the goddess's bed as if this was a regular occurrence, staring down at a pile of papers, which seemed to contain show reports of monster activities all over the world. She had a laptop in front of her, with a spreadsheet that read: **HUNTING SCHEDULE - SPRING 2015**. She heard herself let out a soft groan of annoyance. She must have been reading the stack of reports for hours.

The groan turned into a surprised gasp as she felt someone jump onto the bed and wrap her arms - yes, it was a her, judging from the slender arms - around Wisty's waist. Instead of reacting violently, like she should have done, Wisty laughed and rolled aside from the reports to receive a kiss as she stared into familiar silver eyes.

_Artemis? _Artemis was _kissing _her? Even in a dream, Wisty felt shocked. Her dream self pulled away and refocused her attention on the stack of reports, earning herself a playful growl of annoyance from Artemis.

"Do you deem the reports more important than I, my Lieutenant?" Artemis hummed as she leaned close to Wisty's ear, closer than normal friends would go near. Wisty shivered as she felt the goddess's hot breath run across the back of her neck. Lieutenant? She was _lieutenant? _But what happened to Phoebe-

_Oh, gods. _She really hoped Phoebe was alright, but she had a small inkling of an idea as to what had happened to the daughter of Ares, and it wasn't exactly pleasant.

"It is my duty, my lady," Wisty reminded Artemis with a small grin. "Unless you wish to rescind your orders?" Wisty was shocked at the casualness in her voice when addressing her mistress.

"Hmm," Artemis pretended to think. "No, I will not rescind my orders. I simply wish to spend some time with you, my dear one." My dear one? Was Artemis referring to her? No, she couldn't be-

Wisty was distracted from her thoughts by her own voice, her lips moving involuntarily. "Think carefully," she warned half-heartedly, as if she didn't really want her to. "I don't want to end up like last year, chasing up long-overdue reports in the middle of spring and making schedules in the middle of a hunt."

"Is that how you address a goddess?" Artemis smirked. "Much less _your _goddess?"

She said the word "your" like it could have multiple meanings, and she was allowing Wisty to choose.

Wisty felt herself laugh softly. "Of course not, my lady. Welcome back, Phoebe Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Virginity, and Childbirth, Rider of the Moon Chariot, Protector of Women. I am honored to be in your presence."

Artemis pursed her lips. "I've heard better," she decided, "but it will do for now." She rewarded Wisty with a kiss on her jaw, coaxing a small sigh out of her.

"I saved Olympus," Wisty reminded Artemis, although she had no idea what she was talking about. "Show respect to your savior."

Artemis looked entirely taken aback before she let out a low chuckle. "Impertinent little huntress," she laughed, dragging her teeth from the corner of Wisty's mouth slowly down towards her neck. Wisty's breathing hitched in her throat. She glanced down at the reports of monster activities again. Something about a manticore. Yes, a manticore. She was pleased with herself for managing to hold a thought in her mind with Artemis pressing tantalizingly light kisses along her jawline. "Very well, Wisteria Jackson," Artemis murmured against her neck. "Daughter of Poseidon, Slayer of the Minotaur, Finder of the Master Bolt, Recoverer of the Golden Fleece, Bearer of the Titan's Curse-" Wisty started protesting, but Artemis paid no heed to her words, continuing as if she hadn't heard: "-Huntress of Artemis, Champion of Day, Savior of Olympus…" she trailed off as she pressed another kiss on Wisty's sensitive collarbone, making her gasp. "...and the Love of Artemis," she finished with a smile.

Wisty made a sound which sounded like she was trying hard to be noncommittal as she scheduled another hunt into the late springs. She had no idea what Artemis was talking about. Savior of Olympus? Last she checked, she wasn't in line for the prophecy anymore.

The "love of Artemis" part made her giddy and lightheaded, as if someone had inflated her head with helium.

Still having no control whatsoever of her own actions, Wisty grinned. "And can the Savior of Olympus ask a goddess for a favor?"

"Mmm." Artemis considered as she put a hand on her chin. "I shall grant you one wish, my brave one," she decided with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Behave yourself," Wisty ordered with mock sternness. Somehow she pulled it off, even with Artemis's lips still trailing teasingly along her skin. "Until I finish the schedule."

Artemis's eyes flashed with irritation. Obviously, this wasn't quite what the goddess had in mind, but she simply smirked and withdrew her full, soft lips from Wisty's jaw and neck, which were red with all the small nips Artemis had bit. "Very well," she conceded. "I shall refrain from flustering you with any physical contact."

She kept to her word, as the goddess scooted slightly over to the side, leaving just enough space so that their bodies _nearly _touched, but not quite. All physical contact had ceased except for Artemis's slender fingers seemingly absently drew small circles on Wisty's back as she read Wisty's reports over her shoulder.

Wisty had _never _been more distracted in her life. Trying to focus, she located another group of hellhounds up north, in Quebec, and set a time near the end of May to hunt them down.

"Storm spirits, dear," Artemis corrected her gently, reaching over Wisty's shoulder and readjusting the schedule, all while not touching Wisty in any way. "Not hellhounds."

A fresh, crisp breeze flowed in from the open window - when had the window been opened? - and washed over Wisty's recently-kissed skin, sending a pleasurable wave of coolness through her body as she shivered.

"Cold, my dangerous bloom?" Artemis murmured.

"Why would I be dangerous?" Wisty managed to breathe out, but just barely. She might not be able to control her actions, but she could still feel everything like it was herself.

"You are my Wisteria," Artemis told her. "And wisteria poison is a dangerous drug. And I am addicted to it...to you."

"I suppose so," Wisty answered huskily, a surge of warmth flowing through her at the goddess's words.

"Do you want me to close the window, sea girl?" Artemis whispered. "Perhaps shut the door as well?"

"Mmm," Wisty agreed, unable to form a proper sentence. She was acutely aware of the warmth radiating off Artemis's body as she got up slowly, "accidentally" brushing Wisty's side in the progress. Wisty closed her eyes and tried to calm her erratic breaths and raging heartbeat as she heard Artemis close the door. The windows slipped shut on their own, as if by some invisible force.

"You seem a bit flushed," Artemis commented casually.

"Maybe a little," Wisty admitted.

"Hmm. Must be from the palace," Artemis hummed. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? We could take a walk on Olympus," she suggested.

"Maybe I do," Wisty decided, turning around to face the goddess, and Artemis's eyes flashed in victory. It turned into exasperation and a small growl when Wisty promptly returned her attention to the reports. "When these are finished."

Artemis nipped at her earlobes in revenge. "You," she muttered, "are far too responsible for your own good."

"Remember your order," Wisty reminded. "Besides, you'll thank me for it next spring."

"Perhaps," Artemis agreed. "But I couldn't care less."

Truthfully, Wisty couldn't either, not with Artemis's body right next to her, the goddess's warm breath tickling her neck. She'd discarded her parka in favor of just a tight-fitting T-shirt, which didn't exactly help her situation, or her ability to think.

The goddess couldn't _possibly _be doing this on purpose - could she? She was Artemis, the maiden goddess, who has never had a relationship in thousands of years. She couldn't possibly be teasing her, baiting her.

The air seemed stiflingly hot. The space in the room hummed with unreleased tension - a good kind, not unlike the anticipation before you unwrap your Christmas presents - and energy. Artemis's pleasant scent of wild forests and berries and pine trees seemed to awaken a primal, wild instinct inside Wisty, urging her to move, to just ditch the reports and the schedule and to just roll over and grab and kiss the goddess and-

Gasping for breath, Wisty shoved the pile of reports aside and snapped the laptop screen shut. The papers scattered in the air onto the bedroom floor in a mess - she couldn't care less. She barely registered the triumph in Artemis's eyes as Wisty whirled around and smashed her lips onto the goddess's in desperate passion. Their tongues battled for dominance as they rolled around on the bed, furiously tearing each other's clothes apart with desire. Wisty broke apart the kiss just enough to stare fiercely into Artemis's eyes, which were almost grey with hunger. All that remained of their clothes were pieces of fabric strewn over the bed and the undergarments they wore.

Leaning downwards so that their bodies mushed together, Wisty whispered into Artemis's ears: "You have been a naughty girl, my lady." She pressed tantalizingly slow kisses onto Artemis's face, gradually trailing down towards her neck, making the goddess gasp with pleasure. "I believe I must punish you for disobeying my orders."

Artemis's body quivered as she opened her mouth to respond, but when she spoke, she said: "Does my shoulder really feel that comfortable?"

Wisty frowned. What was she talking about? The image of the room started to blur, Artemis's silver eyes still dark with want, but Wisty felt herself flying away, being pulled away from the beautiful girl in front of her. The image blurred completely as Wisty flew further and further away, floating away from Artemis's palace into the sky and beyond. She felt herself shoot up through the clouds, and her one thought was, _Zeus is going to kill me_.

With a gasp, she awoke, to find herself sleeping on someone's shoulder. Where was she? She remembered the campfire, the singing incident, then…

Wisty turned slightly to stare up into two magnificent pools of liquid silver as she realized with panic who she had fallen asleep on. Artemis, the goddess of the Hunt, was staring down at her with confusion in her eyes and a small smile.

* * *

_Can everyone who hasn't seen Endgame go watch it? We have to beat Avatar at the box office. I might go re-watch it, alone this time, because it's just that good._

_Ciao! But go watch. Seriously. It's good. GO WATCH!_


	9. IX

_The characters in this story are...sort of dull. They were genuine (I hope) but hopelessly one-dimensional. In the new Sea Girl, I've tried to keep many aspects of Wisty's character in mind - both her qualities and her flaws. I hope, if you are reading the new version, that you've been picking some things up. If you aren't reading it, give it a try. In my biased and possibly hubristic opinion, it's well-written._

_Also, if you spot mistakes - typos and grammar and such - in my writing, please tell me in the reviews. If you have constructive criticism, I am open for discussion, but keep in mind I can't send PMs to guests. _

_Tip: the dates at the start of some chapters is the date the chapter starts on in the story. E.g. this chapter starts on the night of December 25th._

_I'll stop rambling. As always, happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 9 (Dec 25th)**

"Oh, gods, my lady, I'm so sorry-"

"It is fine, my huntress," Artemis assured her. "Did you enjoy your sleep? You looked very content in your dreams."

Wisty blushed and pulled away from the goddess's grasp when she remembered her dream. Artemis's body underneath her, her full, red lips, the grey lust in her eyes so _inviting-_

_ Get a hold of yourself, Wisty, _she mentally chided herself. She had no idea what the dream was about, or why she had it, but this was not the time to dwell on making out with a maiden goddess, even if she was exceedingly beautiful-

"Wisty?" Artemis nudged her slightly, shaking Wisty out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Hastily, Wisty recomposed her features. "Um...yeah. I mean, yes, my lady."

Artemis nodded. Why was she here anyway? In _Wisty's _room, no less. Not that she was complaining about her company.

"That is good," the goddess said absently. "May I ask about your dream?"

Panic must have flashed across her features, because Artemis hastened to reassure. "That was not an order, Wisteria. You need not divulge anything."

Wisty breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't big on her sentiments to let a maiden goddess know about her...rather steamy dream with her. "Thank you, my lady."

"No matter," Artemis waved it aside. "I'm glad you got some rest. You have had a tiring day."

"I suppose so," Wisty conceded.

"Get some sleep. Well, some more sleep," Artemis ordered, business-like once again. "We will hopefully complete our journey by the day after tomorrow and meet up with your friends from Camp Half-Blood. I am sure you are excited to meet them again."

Wisty yawned. Despite having two naps today, she still felt about to crash. "Of course, my lady."

"Good," Artemis nodded and began to head out. Wisty yawned again and started snuggling into her covers, but Artemis's voice drifted from the entrance.

"Also, Wisty?" the goddess called.

"Yes, my lady?" Wisty half called, half mumbled, already half asleep. What she said next completely jolted her awake.

"Is my shoulder comfortable?" Artemis asked, her voice completely serious. So serious, that Wisty was sure she was teasing her.

"Shut up, Lady Artemis," she grumbled and buried her head into the soft pillow. Even then, she heard Artemis's twinkling laugh sounding from the tent flaps.

"Sweet dreams, my Hunter," she said softly.

"You too, my lady..." Wisty trailed off as her eyes dropped shut once again. Sleep overtook her in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Apparently, all the Hunters had caught wind of her little nap on Artemis's shoulder, because Wisty counted exactly sixty-six winks sent to her just during breakfast, and an extra fifteen in the short two minutes it took to pack up camp. Around a third of these came from Phoebe, who had a broad grin on her face whenever she saw Wisty.

Artemis, as impassive as usual, acted as if nothing had happened. Wisty wished she had her ability to maintain such a perfect poker face. Or maybe she just didn't care that much, but Wisty kind of hoped she would show some sign of acknowledgment if only to show they had a connection.

Phoebe had advised her not to worry. "Don't stress," she told her, "she's a goddess. She can't show favoritism...too much, although it's pretty clear to everyone. You two aren't even official yet."

Wisty choked on the cup of blue coke she was sipping from. "_Official? _We aren't in a-"

"Oh please," Phoebe chided. "You can't be _that _oblivious. Everyone sees the way you instantly become flustered around her and the way she stares at you for a little _too _long at a time. You're just both in denial."

"You sound like Aphrodite," Wisty muttered.

"You've met Aphrodite?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She promised to make my love life interesting," Wisty rolled her eyes. "Which is fantastic, because my life isn't _interesting _enough already."

"Don't let her get into your head," Phoebe warned. "She has led many heroes astray."

"Yes, but I'm a Hunter now," Wisty pointed out.

"I suppose so," Phoebe conceded. "But, still, don't let it get eat you. That goddess has a way with words."

Courtesy of the Hunters' disregard of speed limits, currently they were driving on a highway in Colorado, having gone past the border of Kansas a few hours ago and had just passed the ranges of the Rocky Mountains. The plan was to be in Western Utah and camp near the border of Nevada by sometime at night, get a good night's sleep, and reach San Francisco by noon tomorrow. Not a single cloud could be seen in the vast, blue skies, and Apollo's chariot shone high over their heads, providing some well-welcomed warmth in the chilly winter air, because for some reason, Phoebe refused to turn on the air conditioner, claiming that the natural sunlight was sufficient.

"You need to get used to it," she told Wisty. "We don't have air conditioners in the wilderness. Lady Artemis's orders." Wisty had huffed and glared at her, but the daughter of Ares was as stubborn as her father.

Finally, after another hour or so of Phoebe driving, entering Utah, Wisty trying to warm herself up more and blasting Twenty One Pilots songs on the magically enchanted radio (which she had just discovered by accidentally turning on the stereo, they were now her absolute favorite band), Artemis finally decided to let the girls have a break.

"There is a small forest up ahead," she told the Lieutenant, "We will stop there for a short hike and hunt. The girls are getting restless without any action."

"Of course, my lady," Phoebe replied, then grinned ruefully. "That'll give me a break from Wisty blasting some _boy_ band songs at full volume."

"It was because you didn't let me turn on the heater," Wisty informed her.

"Blame your girlfriend," Phoebe shot back, effectively making Wisty suddenly incapable of any form of coherent speech.

"She's not my girlfriend," she finally managed after several attempts.

"Soon-to-be-girlfriend," Phoebe corrected herself matter-of-factly. A cough from the intercom interrupted their argument.

"Excuse me," Artemis said, a little indignantly, "but I think the person you are referring to would prefer it if you didn't speak of her as if she is not there, _especially _if she is your goddess."

Wisty blushed a crimson red as she realized they hadn't turned the intercom off. Phoebe coughed loudly to mask her embarrassment.

"Sorry, my lady," she apologized. They heard an exasperated sigh from the other end.

"All is forgiven," Artemis muttered, clearly chagrined. "And I am _not _Wisteria's girlfriend. I do not have any form of romantic attachment to her." Wisty felt slightly hurt and disappointed when she heard these words, but the next words from Phoebe and the subsequent reaction from Artemis immediately quelled these emotions.

"You're hurting your girlfriend, my lady," Phoebe replied cheekily, earning herself a splutter of indignation from Artemis as for the first time since Wisty had met her, she seemed to struggle to come up with a response.

"She is not my girlfriend," she finally managed, but she sounded less sure.

"It's ok," the daughter of Ares continued, as if she hadn't heard. "The girls will plan the wedding. You have nothing to worry about, _right girls_?"

It was at that moment when suddenly, a dozen different voices of adolescent girls cheered into the intercom, nearly deafening Wisty. She recognized the high pitched shriek of delight from Isabelle over all the other loud cries. She realized they had been listening in on this conversation all along. Wisty was sure, if glares could travel through speakers, there would be an extra-large one sent by Artemis specifically for her Lieutenant.

"Lieutenant," she growled. "Come to me when we stop. That is an order."

"Sure, my lady," Phoebe replied cheerfully, apparently not concerned that she was in trouble. "But I believe you owe Wisty an apology." Artemis tried to respond, but she was drowned out by another round of whoops and whistles from the eavesdroppers. Wisty groaned and covered her face with her hands.

There was a series of crackling and static noises as Artemis forcibly cut off the others' connections to the conversation. "Phoebe," she snapped. "We're stopping now. Get to me and take Wisty."

Phoebe didn't seem deterred at all. "Of course, my lady." The connection cut off. Wisty glared at Phoebe.

"Great," she hissed, "now you've made her mad."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Jackson," she said. "It's just Lady Artemis's way of dealing with embarrassment. C'mon, let's go."

* * *

Wisty hesitantly followed Phoebe through the main tent's flaps. It was just as she remembered - animal pelts, horns, antlers and other trophies on the wall, Artemis's huge longbow in an oak display stand, and a golden, fuelless, smokeless brazier burning in the middle providing a comfortable warmth in contrast to the chilly winter air.

Artemis sat cross-legged, in her late-teen form, on the silk rug, which had pillows and cushions strewn over it, the deer with silver antlers and glittering, golden fur that Wisty had seen in Maine resting its head contentedly in her lap.

Fortunately, the goddess didn't seem extremely livid or mad. As usual, her face was regal, composed and as impassive as a stone wall, showing no emotions whatsoever. Her bright, silver eyes showed apparent indifference as she stared at the daughter of Ares.

"Phoebe," she finally spoke, after a slight moment of awkward silence. "I assume you understand why you are here."

"Yes, my lady," Phoebe replied.

"Phoebe was just joking," Wisty interceded. "I'm sure she meant no ill will."

"Yes, I recognize that," Artemis admitted. "While I appreciate the attempt at humor, Lieutenant, you must realize when enough is enough. While the occasional remark is fine, I am required to hold some authority over my Hunters, especially the newer ones." She glanced at Wisty, then continued. "Dragging all the girls into this little stunt of yours was not necessary."

"The girls will not doubt your position, Lady Artemis," Phoebe argued. "There is no harm done. And it wasn't a complete joke," she added underneath her breath, but Artemis chose to ignore her. Wisty, however, heard the remark and blushed.

"Once or twice, no, they will not. However, if I allowed this to become a regular occurrence...it will not be good," Artemis said,, ignoring Wisty's uncomfortable expression. "While I prefer to remain close with my Hunters, I _am _an Olympian goddess, and we are required to maintain a certain distance from mortals, which certainly includes not becoming a regular butt of jokes. I will let this one pass, huntress. But do not think it is fine to crack jokes on me in front of the whole Hunt."

Phoebe looked like she wanted to argue, but a look from her mistress silenced her. Bowing her head, she muttered, "Yes, my lady."

"Good," Artemis nodded. "We will be starting a short, hour-long hunt in twenty minutes. Go tell the girls - tell them to prepare their falcons and wolves." Phoebe visibly brightened at the prospect of a task. She nodded eagerly and exited the tent. Wisty began to follow, but Artemis's voice stopped her.

"Where are you going, my huntress?" Wisty turned back to see Artemis with an eyebrow raised. "Come, sit, we have much to talk about."

Wisty reluctantly took a seat. To be honest, she would rather be anywhere than face the goddess, also her crush, right now, especially after the intercom incident. The deer resting its head on Artemis's lap stretched towards Wisty and sniffed at her, then rested her head back on the goddess's lap.

"She approves of you," Artemis chuckled as she stroked the deer's fur. The deer closed its eyes, apparently enjoying the feeling.

"Is that the golden deer Heracles hunted?" Wisty asked. She vaguely remembered Heracles hunting a deer for one of his labors. The deer snorted at the sound of Heracles' voice.

"Yes, the Ceryneian Hind," Artemis nodded, patting the animal on the head softly to comfort it. "My sacred animal. Heracles was required to capture it without killing. I should have killed him for daring to wound my animal," she scowled. "A typical male scoundrel."

Wisty had to agree with her. Heracles used to be her favorite hero because of his, well, more-than-rotten luck, but after dreaming about what he had done to Zoë. she couldn't help but think that maybe he deserved most of it.

"Where is he, anyways?" she asked. "Didn't he become a god after he died?"

"Ah, yes, one of the few mortals who gained immortality," Artemis scoffed. "Simply looking at his accomplishments, he more than deserved it. However, he was an arrogant swine, and Olympus quickly realized its mistake. Father sent him to...not important," she decided. "The important thing is, he is stuck at that place forever."

"That seems a bit harsh," Wisty observed. She agreed with Heracles being an arrogant swine, but being immortal, undying, and stuck in a random place for eternity seemed rather cruel."

Artemis studied her, as if she found her intriguing. "So much compassion," she mused. Outside, Wisty heard Phoebe's boisterous laughter as she mingled with the other Hunters. "Do you know why I wished for you to be Lieutenant, instead of Phoebe, Wisteria?"

"Uh, no, my lady," Wisty admitted. "I'm just a new Hunter, while Phoebe's been at your side for almost as long as Zoë, I think. I don't see how I can possibly be better at the role than her."

"It is because you are a thinker, a leader, a mediator," Artemis told her.

"A thinker? I'm sorry, but 'thinker' isn't usually used to describe me." Wisty almost laughed. She'd always let Annabeth handle the thinking. She just had to jump in and kill stuff. The most thinking she'd usually do in a day was what activities she should do at camp that day. Now that she was with the Hunters, she didn't even have to plan that anymore.

"Do not underestimate yourself, Wisteria," Artemis said. "I am not talking about the planning of a battle, or a Hunt. I am talking about being level-headed."

"Uh-huh."

"Most half-bloods are prideful. Most carry some arrogance from their godly parents. After all, we _are _immortal, and however much we try not to, there are moments when we believe we are better than others. But not you," Artemis continued, "When I offered you Lieutenantship, you declined it because you feared it would cause discordance inside the Hunt, did you not?"

"Kind of," Wisty confessed. "I felt like I would be usurping the senior Hunters' positions."

"Heroes who can resist the temptation of power are few and far between the ages," Artemis told her. "Consequently, they also make great leaders, because they do not let their pride blind them. They remain cool-headed under stress and think quickly to get out of tough situations. And because of that, they can help resolve problems between others." she glanced at the entrance of the tent. "I'm afraid Phoebe, however more experienced she is, does not have that capability."

"Was Zoë like that?" Wisty blurted out, then blushed at her sudden outburst. "I mean, was Zoë a thinker?"

"Yes," Artemis said. "Her experience with Heracles, while extremely unpleasant, tamed her pride, allowing her to become a great leader. Over the millennia, she has been the heart of the Hunt. Everyone looked up to her. She was the glue to the Hunt, if you will."

"Were you two...in a relationship?" Wisty asked self-consciously. "I mean, Phoebe said there were rumors…"

Artemis frowned. "To be completely honest, I do not know," she confessed. "For centuries, our relationship has teetered on the edge of friendship...and something more. I have always believed there was something...but neither of us was willing to make the first move. I regret not resolving this before her death." The goddess sighed, a faraway look in her eyes. Wisty recognized regret and sadness lingering in her gaze.

"Sorry," she said awkwardly. "For asking, I mean."

"No matter," Artemis waved it aside. "Back to my point. I believe you are very much like Zoë, Wisty, whether you believe the same or not. The only difference is you are less sure of yourself, and do not have prejudice against others, especially men." She paused, as if gathering her thoughts, then continued. "The Hunters, whether we admit it or not, and of course, I will deny this in public, but we _are _prejudiced against men. Most of them have had terrible past experiences with abuse or neglect from their male parents or relatives. _You, _my huntress," she pointed at her for emphasis. "Are different. You have had experience with horrible males, namely your ex-stepfather, but you have not let your mind be clouded by it.

"Uh, thanks?" Wisty offered uncertainly, not sure how to respond to the compliment.

"Also, you are less sure of yourself," Artemis continued. "That can be good or bad." Wisty remembered Chiron saying nearly the exact same thing to her, before the quest to Mount Othrys. "Your friend, Thalia Grace, inherits Father's pride. She is too sure of herself. You are the opposite."

"Right," Wisty mumbled. She wasn't exactly sure where this conversation was going.

"Everyone has a fatal flaw," Artemis told her. "Thalia Grace...she is proud, and easy to anger. If it was my choice, she would not be the child of the prophecy."

"What's mine?" Wisty asked. "I mean, what's my flaw?"

"Yours, is personal loyalty," Artemis said.

"How can that be a bad thing?" Wisty asked. "I mean...loyalty is good, right?"

"The most dangerous flaws are good in moderation," Artemis said. "Think, my huntress. How has Kronos manipulated you? First, your mother was taken from you. Then, your satyr friend Grover. Then, Luke Castellan was captured in Maine. Finally, now, Annabeth Chase has been apprehended by Koios in San Francisco. Each time, the Titan Lord has used your loved ones against you, to lure you into traps that you have barely escaped with your life."

"But we succeeded each time," Wisty pointed out. "_I _succeeded each time."

Artemis nodded. "So far, you have," she acknowledged. "But you cannot tempt fate. To save a friend, Wisteria, you would sacrifice the world." Artemis stared at her, her piercing gaze scanning her soul, making Wisty feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. "That, dare I say, is the most dangerous flaw of them all."

Wisty swallowed. She didn't exactly expect this talk to suddenly turn into a serious discussion about her fatal flaw. "Great," she muttered.

"Do not feel disgruntled, my dear," Artemis told her, making Wisty jerk in surprise. Since when had the goddess started calling her "dear"? "The good thing is, your flaw can be a terrible weakness...but also gifts you immense strength. You gain strength from protecting your friends and family. I believe that is why Katharos and Kardia chose you." Her vambraces glowed softly, as if affirming the goddess's statement.

"So, what are you trying to say?" Wisty queried. She was starting to get restless with her ADHD sitting on the floor.

"What I am trying to imply is that you must learn to control your flaw," Artemis answered. "While you can never completely suppress a fatal flaw...you can try your best to not let it affect you. As I said, to save a friend, you would risk the world...and yourself. I do not wish for you to end up like Zoë. I do not wish to lose _you_."

Wisty blinked as she tried to absorb what the goddess was talking about. Then it hit her. Artemis was afraid of losing _her..._not as a Hunter, but as Wisteria Jackson. The statement was clearly voiced in a very intimate way. Her throat suddenly felt very dry, and she suddenly felt very self-conscious under the gaze of her mistress. The goddess was acknowledging her on an extremely personal level, comparing her to Zoë, her former Lieutenant, and potential lover. Flashes of thoughts zipped through her mind as she tried to form a coherent sentence. Finally, she said: "I-I'll try my best, my lady."

Artemis smiled, a brilliant expression that lit up her stunning face. Wisty noticed how her eyes shone and the corners of her mouth curved upwards ever so slightly when she smiled. It was an expression full of contentment and hope. "Then that is good enough for me, my huntress. Come, the hunt is beginning soon." She stood up and held out a hand towards Wisty, who took it numbly, still in a state of shock from her words, as they headed out towards the rest of the Hunt.

* * *

_The amount of times I used character tropes here is...inordinate. The slightly shy, powerful, love-struck heroine, the mysterious but equally love-struck love interest, the overbearing but supportive best friend, and the group of less important but equally enthusiastic other friends. Yes, boxes ticked. Not sure if that's a good thing._

_Regardless, I hope you enjoyed. Ciao!_


	10. X

_I wanted something to spice up the story. Younger me decided a mysterious little girl was the way. Maybe not the greatest execution but the idea is right, I suppose._

_I've been lazy and I'm sorry. First exams, then vacation came and I've dedicated only some time to writing. Sea Girl's next chapter is halfway finished, En Route to Happiness chapter is in its concluding phase and the new PJO/MCU story has finally started. I decided to take a different approach to it. I hope you all are interested! _

_Go check out my other stories. They're pretty cool. Also, leave a review if you have something to say!_

_Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"So?" Phoebe demanded as soon as Artemis went out of earshot. "What did she say?"

"What do you mean?" Wisty half mumbled, half asked. Phoebe rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What did you two talk about?" she asked again.

"Not much," Wisty muttered back. Phoebe's eyes widened.

"By the gods," she exclaimed. "Did you ask her out? Have you kissed yet-"

"Shut up!" Wisty hissed. "No, we didn't talk about that. We were talking about my fatal flaw."

Phoebe looked disappointed. "Oh. For Hades' sake, you two need to hurry up and confess. What is it?"

"What's what?"

"Your flaw," Phoebe replied impatiently. "What's your flaw?"

"Personal loyalty," Wisty sighed.

"But...that's good, right?" Phoebe asked.

"The most dangerous flaws are good in moderation," Wisty said, quoting Artemis. "To save a friend, I would sacrifice the world."

Phoebe shrugged. "Well, if you put it _that _way...it does sound kind of dangerous."

"She told me it was the most dangerous flaw of all," Wisty swallowed.

Phoebe grinned cheerfully, clearly unconcerned with the matter. "Well, hooray for you! Now come on, we're pairing up for the hunt. It's a competition - whoever brings back the most food wins, including plants, berries, fruits, and animals. You're with me because you need a carry."

"How do you even know what _carry _means?" Wisty demanded. "As far as I'm concerned, that is a twenty-first-century slang."

Phoebe shrugged. "Zoë never liked the modern world. She preferred the old ways, as you can tell from her English, but I kept up with the times and liked modern stuff. Well, some of them. May have picked up a few video games here and there."

Wisty frowned. "You're allowed video games in the Hunt?"

"No, just when we visit Lady Artemis's palace or something like that," Phoebe explained. "Now, come on, your girlfriend is waiting to announce the rules, and I'd hate for you two to break up over being late to a date."

"Girls, the rules are simple," Artemis announced. "They are the same as always: free roam inside the woods for an hour, do not attempt to maim or injure the other teams. However, traps are allowed as long as they are not harmful, and whoever brings back the most food wins. I will be supervising. Is that clear?" There were a bunch of nods and mumbled yeses from the assembled Hunters.

Wisty leaned close to Phoebe and whispered to her: "How's she going to supervise? She can't be everywhere at once."

"She can, if she wanted to," Phoebe replied. "The forest is her domain. Her presence inhabits it. Plus, she's got her moon chariot, which is just starting to climb, so we're all good."

"Be everywhere at once? How does that even work?" Wisty wondered.

Phoebe shrugged. "Yeah, your girlfriend's awesome. Come on, let's get going, I want to keep my twenty-seven win streak going."

* * *

"What is this?" Phoebe demanded as they trudged through the woods, all pretenses of stealth long since forgotten. In the forty-five minutes they've been in the woods, the pair had encountered a single, measly squirrel which Phoebe had quickly shot with a tranquilizer arrow and a small patch of raspberry bushes. Apart from that, they encountered no potential prey, and all the berry bushes had been recently picked.

"Wonder if the others are doing this bad," Wisty grumbled. So far, she'd had minimal contribution to the hunt. Phoebe had shot the one squirrel they saw before she had a chance to summon Katharos. She glared at her bow for being so slow to respond, to which it responded by glowing with indignation, as if saying, _Hey, it wasn't my fault. _"Probably better than us."

"Nah," Phoebe shook her head. "We've walked like all of the forest and found only this. Someone else must've been here before the Hunt. I don't think our luck can be _that _bad."

"Try me," Wisty muttered. Phoebe opened her mouth to respond, but apparently decided not to. Wisty was about to ask what was up when the daughter of Ares held a finger to her lips.

"What is it?" Wisty whispered. At least, she thought it was a whisper. Phoebe visibly winced at the amount of sound she produced.

"You seriously need to work on whispering," she whispered back. "I heard a sound. Sounded like footsteps."

"Where?" Wisty's hand instinctively drifted towards her pendant, ready to summon her staff in a heartbeat.

"Behind us, six o'clock," Phoebe muttered. Wisty began to turn around, but Phoebe's hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Careful!" she hissed. "Don't know who it is. Might be another pair, but I doubt it. The footsteps sounded like they came from one person."

"Well, what do you say we do?" Wisty snapped, then winced at her harsh tone. In her defense, she was tired and cranky after nearly an hour of walking and not doing anything exciting.

"I don't know," Phoebe admitted. "I was hoping you'd have some genius idea."

"Well, I don't," Wisty groaned. As soon as she said that, her vambraces glowed brightly, as if saying, _Are you sure about that?_

Her mind drifted back to before they had started their journey, when Artemis asked her to identify which direction west was. Carefully, she put her hand on Katharos and tried to tap into its power. She had to be careful. The last time she'd used its power, she had passed out from overexertion. She feared that if she accidentally overextended, the consequences would be a lot worse than a little nap.

Trying to control the power of her weapons was like surfing during a hurricane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The power of the Day was wild, untamed, and not necessarily benevolent. It could hurt her just as easily as it could help her, just as how the Day could easily change from clear skies to a raging storm in a matter of seconds.

But, Wisty was a child of the sea. She had experiences with hurricanes and storms. Heck, she'd even _created _some before. Managing to stay in control and not drown in the violent currents, she carefully channeled an infinitesimal amount of power. Closing her eyes, she felt the currents lift her consciousness out of her body. She floated in midair, seeing everything around her with striking detail. She saw Phoebe's questioning expression as the Lieutenant stared at her still body. She smelt the fresh scent of the forest at night, and heard the chittering of birds and critters. Instinctively, she knew they were responding to her aura of power.

"Wow," Phoebe muttered from below her floating consciousness, "that's powerful."

She focused and stretched her senses out to all around them. Her sight expanded, her view becoming larger and larger until she had a view of the whole forest, yet she still saw every single little detail and heard every sound as clearly as if she was right next to it.

There! She zeroed in on a tree, a few meters behind their position. Willing her consciousness to zoom in, she noticed a young, shivering form of a girl hugging herself tightly, curled up with her back to a tree. She breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't some big threat. Of course, she could be a monster in disguise, but her instincts, or more specifically, Katharos' instincts told her she wasn't.

She was about to allow her consciousness to return to her body when a growl made her freeze. Zooming out once again, she spotted the dark form of a huge hellhound some fifty meters away, its hungry, red eyes staring right at the girl, saliva dripping from its snarling maw. The hellhound began silently stalking towards the girl, its huge paws barely making a sound on the forest floor.

She flew back towards her own body, gasping and opening her eyes when her consciousness was firmly anchored to her body again. "What did you-" Phoebe began, but Wisty cut her off.

"No time!" she began running towards the tree she saw, Katharos already in her hand, Phoebe close behind her.

"What did you see?" Phoebe demanded as she sprinted next to Wisty. "Why are you running like a maniac?"

"Girl. Hellhound. Stalking." Wisty managed to get out between breaths. Fortunately, Phoebe seemed to understand, because her eyes widened and her bow materialized from nowhere. They skidded to a stop next to the curled-up girl, who yelped and started crawling away from them.

"W-who are you?" the girl whimpered, her eyes alight with fear. They were an unusual shade of purple and black, and seemed to glow with power.

"It's okay," Wisty tried to soothe. "We're here to help you. Now, where is the-"

_WOOF!_

"Well, I guess that answers our question," Wisty muttered as she whirled around to see the hellhound halfway through its leap at her. Rolling aside, she allowed her bow to disappear and pulled on her pendant, which expanded into her six-foot long sword. Morphing the staff into a lance, she stabbed forwards with two hands into the side of the hellhound.

She expected the stab to penetrate the hellhound through its belly, considering that most monsters weren't extremely intelligent, but this hellhound seemed to be an exception, because it sprang aside, simultaneously avoiding a volley of arrows from Phoebe, and lowered itself into a fighting stance, its red eyes shimmering with intelligence that hellhounds shouldn't have.

"Something about this hellhound is different," Phoebe called. "He seems smarter than most. Protect the girl, I'll get it!" Wisty wanted to protest, but Phoebe was already springing at the hellhound with her two hunting knives drawn. Sighing at the daughter of Ares' recklessness, Wisty knelt down next to the girl, who's violet eyes were wide with shock and fear. Upon closer inspection, the girl seemed to be of Asian descent, around eight or nine years old, with pale skin and hollow cheeks, indicating that she had been malnourished for quite some time. She noticed numerous scratches and bruises on her body, probably from wondering around the woods.

"It's okay," Wisty comforted. The girl was obviously a demigod, judging from the slight glow in her eyes and the fact that she seemed to be able to see the hellhound just fine, so Wisty gave her a square of ambrosia. "Here, eat this, it'll make you feel better."

"Dad said to not eat food from strangers," the girl replied defiantly. Wisty's mind was whirling. So, the girl's mortal parent was his father. So, who was his mother?

"It's your choice," she finally told the girl. "I won't force you to eat anything, but I swear it's not poisoned."

The girl eyed her warily. Wisty almost saw the gears turning in her young brain as she debated the matter in her mind. Finally, her painful wounds won out against her common sense and she took the square of ambrosia. She nibbled on it, her eyes widening at the taste, since godly food always tasted like your favorite food.

Quickly, she wolfed the square down and widened her eyes at the sight of her wounds healing, new skin growing over it within seconds. Some color returned to her face, and her eyes glowed a little brighter. "Thank you!" she squealed and caught Wisty in a tight hug.

Wisty laughed. "It's okay, girl. What's your name?"

"Aerwyna," the girl answered shyly.

"Friend of the sea," Wisty immediately translated and grinned. She could work with this. "Any last name?" she asked softly, trying not to sound like she was prying. It seemed to work, because the girl relaxed a bit into her arms.

"Shimizu," she said. Wisty thought it sounded Japanese.

"That's a nice name, Aerwyna," she told her. "My name's Wisty."

Aerwyna grinned happily, showing off a gap in her teeth. "Thanks, Wisty!"

"No problem," Wisty replied with a smile. Suddenly, a loud bark sounded from near her, accompanied a second later by a cry of pain from Phoebe. Wisty's pulse quickened at the prospect of her friend getting hurt and she cursed herself for completely forgetting about the monster.

"_Vlacas,_" she muttered. "Aerwyna, stay near but out of fighting range. I need to help my sister." Aerwyna nodded dutifully and ran over to another tree, further away from the battlefield. Wisty re-summoned her staff and bashed it into the side of the hellhound just in time, because it was about to bite Phoebe's neck.

The Lieutenant rolled up to her feet, wincing slightly. "Thanks, Jackson. Good save."

"No problem," Wisty replied, tossing her a piece of ambrosia. "Let me handle this. You're injured."

Phoebe began to protest, but Wisty glared at her defiantly, so she merely huffed and limped over to Aerwyna with her bow on standby. Acting on pure instinct, Wisty swung her staff backward just in time to block a swipe from the hellhound's claws. Twisting, her staff transformed into a sword and she aimed a slash at the monster's neck. The oversized dog blocked it with its claws and counter-swiped at Wisty, who jumped away to a safe distance to regroup.

"Since when were hellhounds so hard to kill?" she muttered as another stab from her sword was avoided. She noticed its red eyes glowing with a faint, grey aura. It was nearly imperceptible, but it was definitely there.

_What in Hades? _Wisty wondered as she dodged a bite that would've ripped her throat out and kicked the dog in the chest. _I don't pay a lot of attention during Chiron's classes at camp, but I'm pretty sure hellhound eyes don't glow grey._

Regardless, she was tiring quickly, and she didn't dare to tap into the power of Hemera again for fear of losing control. Before, it was a perfectly calm situation. Now, in the heat of battle, Wisty wasn't sure she would be able to channel it without being overwhelmed.

It wasn't like she had a lot of choices though, as she dodged another swipe from the hellhound with mere inches to spare. Its sharp claws left three, long gashes in her Hunter's parka. Unfortunately, the moment of distraction allowed the hellhound to pin her down. Wisty struggled futilely underneath its grasp, but her efforts were in vain as the hellhound snarled, its sharp teeth glinting in the gray light coming from its eyes.

_Well, I guess this is it, _Wisty thought. Dimly, she heard Phoebe screaming her name and Aerwyna crying. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

It never came.

Wisty dared to open her eyes, just a crack, just in time to see a wall of darkness slam into the monster, slamming it against a huge tree, whose trunk cracked, then fell, burying the hellhound under several thousand pounds of wood and leaves.

Carefully, Wisty got up, wincing slightly at a twinge of pain in her side, and approached the wreckage. She spotted some golden dust on the edge of the pile of wood. The hellhound had been crushed to death, quite literally, and quite painfully.

She turned back towards Phoebe and Aerwyna. Her sister and Lieutenant's eyes were wide with incomprehension and shock, while Aerwyna had a wild look in her eyes, her little arms outstretched. Her eyes glowed a midnight black color.

"What just happened?" Phoebe demanded after a moment of shocked silence.

Wisty shrugged, but on the inside, her brain was working overtime. _If Aerwyna really summoned the wall of shadows...daughter of Hades?_

But for some reason, she felt like that wasn't the case, and that there were many mysteries about the Japanese demigod which hasn't been uncovered. Yet.

Deep in thought, she nearly jumped when Artemis's voice sounded next to her. Whirling around, she saw the goddess's beautiful face in a misty image.

"Wisteria? Phoebe?" Artemis called out, confused. "The hunt ended ten minutes ago. Where are you?"

Wisty felt too exhausted to explain at the moment, so she just replied with a tired: "We're fine, my lady. I'll explain everything when we get back."

Artemis nodded. "I sensed two spikes of power from near your location. Return to the campsite, I feel we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

_Spiderman: Far From Home is in theaters and I watched it on the second day. It is very fun, but everything pales a little after Endgame. Definitely a terrific movie though, go watch!_


	11. XI

_School has restarted, and I'm being instantly being swamped with schoolwork. I forgot about FFN for a little while. Regardless, I've made progress on all fronts! This and En Route to Happiness are both being updated. _

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"I lost my win streak," Phoebe grumbled as they trudged into the campsite, Aerwyna on her shoulders. The young girl had immediately taken a liking to the daughter of Ares and begged for a piggyback ride. After a few minutes of convincing from Wisty and begging from Aerwyna, the Lieutenant had grudgingly backed down.

Wisty rolled her eyes. "We almost died to an overpowered giant dog and _that's _all you care about?"

Phoebe huffed in annoyance. "_You _almost died to the hellhound," she corrected. "_I _didn't."

Wisty raised an eyebrow. "As I recall, I saved your sorry _ischio _from getting whipped by said monster. Isn't that right, Aerwyna?"

The young Japanese girl grinned. "Yes!" she giggled delightedly.

Phoebe grumbled. "You little traitor," she muttered to Aerwyna, but that only caused her to laugh harder.

"Ah, Wisty, Phoebe, there you are," Artemis greeted them. "And...a young maiden, I see."

"Her name's Aerwyna," Wisty informed the goddess.

"That is a nice name," Artemis smiled at Aerwyna. "Aerwyna, would you mind if I borrowed Phoebe and Wisty for a second?"

"But I want to stay with them, lady," Aerwyna whined. "They are nice."

Artemis laughed. Wisty's knees felt like buckling. She wasn't sure whether it was from her exhaustion or Artemis's twinkling, mirthful laughter.

"I'm sure they are," she told Aerwyna, "and there are plenty more nice girls in this place who would love to play with you."

"Really?" Aerwyna's eyes lit up and she jumped down from Phoebe's back. After consuming some more ambrosia, her energy had been restored and she turned into a cheerful, energetic girl. "Yay!"

Artemis knelt down and pointed her towards a campfire, where the Hunters were crowded around. "Just go to them, and tell them Wisty and Phoebe found you and told you to go to them. I'm sure you'll love it." Aerwyna giggled and scurried off.

Artemis smiled at the girl's retreating form, before turning towards Wisty and Phoebe, her face transforming into one of seriousness. "Explain. Now."

So Phoebe reported what had happened, from their uneventful hunt to meeting Aerwyna, and the seemingly more powerful hellhound. Wisty chimed in when she forgot some details, including how she had located Aerwyna and the grey, glowing eyes of the monster.

Artemis's expression grew more and more grim with each word they said. When they got to Aerwyna's mysterious power, however, she seemed thoughtful.

"She could be a child of Hades," she mused. "That would mean Uncle Hades also broke his oath."

"I don't think she is," Wisty spoke. Phoebe raised an eyebrow at her while Artemis regarded her curiously.

"And why is that, my huntress?" Artemis inquired. Phoebe snickered at the words "my huntress".

"I don't know," Wisty said, ignoring Phoebe. "It just felt...different. Bianca and Nico were children of Hades. Aerwyna felt different. Like...not necessarily dark, more like mysterious."

"Interesting," Artemis pondered. "A demigod with power over darkness, yet you say she is not a child of Hades. We will discuss this later," she decided. "The rest of the girl's did not have any luck with hunting either, so we will be eating with the magic plates again, then we shall drive for another few hours. Go, join your sisters."

"Yes, my lady," Wisty responded immediately. Phoebe gave Artemis a small salute before they ran off.

"'My huntress?'" Phoebe smirked.

"Shut up," Wisty growled. "It's not like she doesn't call the rest of you that."

"Yeah, but she sounded very specific," Phoebe grinned. "Maybe she's possessive."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

* * *

As it turns out, after dinner, Aerwyna insisted on staying with Phoebe, despite her saying that the other Hunters were "really nice!" and that Wisty was "so cool!", which left Wisty a little miffed, because Phoebe refused to unlock the back doors of the Jeep for her to get in.

"Go spend some time with Lady Artemis," she told her, grinning like the idiot she was. "Develop your relationship."

"What relationship?" Aerwyna asked innocently, clearly not understanding what was going on.

"Nothing," Wisty said quickly before Phoebe could comment anything else. Huffing in annoyance, Wisty trudged over to Artemis's silver Jeep, which looked bigger than the rest of them and had a little crescent moon carved into the side of the Jeep.

"Cool car," Wisty said.

"Thank you," Artemis replied, "but this is not a car."

"Huh?" Wisty asked, dumbfounded. "Last I checked, a Jeep falls into the category of a car."

The corners of Artemis's lips twitched. "Ah, yes, but are you sure this is a Jeep?"

"What?" Wisty blinked. She was fairly sure the silver, four-wheeled vehicle in front of her was a Jeep, complete with the logo and a backup tire.

Artemis chirped the car keys. The Jeep was surrounded with a silver aura. When the light died, the Jeep was replaced by an old-fashioned Greek chariot.

"This is the moon chariot?" Wisty asked. Artemis nodded. "But isn't it, like, meant to be in the sky, or something?"

"Part of it is," Artemis replied. "The other part is here, with me."

"How does that even work?" Wisty muttered. Artemis gave her a radiant smile which made her pulse quicken and her breaths shallow.

"Truthfully, even I am not sure," the goddess admitted. "But it is convenient."

"Mind if I, er, join you?" Wisty stammered out, embarrassed.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you not enjoy Phoebe's company?"

"No, it's not that," Wisty hurried to assure the goddess. "It's because, well, Phoebe kind of locked me out. She has Aerwyna with her."

"I am sure the back seats are available," Artemis said.

"Phoebe's not letting me in," Wisty grumbled. "Something about 'only two people per car' or something. So she told me to, um, find you."

Artemis laughed. Wisty loved her laugh. Wait, no, she _liked _her laugh. Yes, that's right. "I see. My lieutenant is up to her childish antics once again."

"Yeah, she is," Wisty muttered. "Should I go back?"

"No, no, stay here, Wisteria," Artemis hastened to reassure her. "You can join me in my chariot." She chirped the car keys again, and the chariot morphed back into a Jeep.

Wisty hoped she wasn't blushing as hard as she thought she was as she moved to the passenger side of the car. Before she could open the door, Artemis opened it for her.

"What?" Wisty stared at the open door, then at Artemis.

"I believe it is customary for a driver to open the door for a woman, is it not?" Artemis asked. Wisty caught a hint of amusement in her eyes. Was Artemis..._teasing _her? No, surely not. Artemis wouldn't do that. Would she?

"Yeah," Wisty finally managed out. "I mean, thanks."

"No problem, my huntress," Artemis replied as she slipped into the driver's seat. "I'm afraid you are not allowed to drive. My father does not like it when a child of his brothers sits in my chariot, even if she is a huntress, much less to drive it."

"It's fine," Wisty said. "I mean, it's fine, my lady."

Artemis smirked. It wasn't an expression she saw very often on the normally formal goddess's face. "After all, it would be inappropriate for a driver to let her passengers drive, wouldn't it?"

"Uh, yeah, it would, I guess," Wisty muttered. Being near Artemis was seriously messing up her mind and thought process. The goddess seemingly teasing her did not help. At all.

Fortunately, she was allowed a little reprieve when Artemis simply smiled and stopped talking. The pair lapsed into a comfortable silence. Wisty began to feel drowsy, by she wanted to stay up and enjoy Artemis's company, so she asked: "Can I use the stereo, my lady?"

"Of course," Artemis said. "No heavy profanity, no overly loud sounds, and no songs by my brother. He'd never let me live it down if he found out that his songs were played in my chariot."

"Right." Wisty raised an eyebrow. "Apollo had albums in the mortal world?"

"My chariot has unlimited internet and subscription to OlympiaTube," Artemis responded, as casually as she would say "I just ate food". "Hephaestus has every single video on the internet on there. You just need to ask."

"Every single video on the internet?" Wisty slowly realized what this meant. She felt queasy when her thoughts drifted to the more _inappropriate _videos she had once accidentally seen someone watch at camp on their snuck-in cellphone. She hadn't been able to erase that image ever since.

After mentally debating with herself, Wisty finally decided on some songs from The Chainsmokers. Some of them had a little bit of swearing in it, but hey, Artemis said no _heavy _profanity, so Wisty allowed herself a bit of leeway. Soon, Wisty lost herself in her own little world, where it was just the songs and her. No interruptions. No monsters to fight, no Titans to battle. Just her own, little peaceful bubble of music and thoughts.

* * *

Artemis had been in her own zone, deep in thought about the upcoming battle in San Francisco, the new girl Aerwyna...and, she had to admit, most of her mind was preoccupied with the quiet daughter of Poseidon besides her, lost in her own world of thought.

The goddess tried - she really did - to put the girl out of her mind, but each time she tried to push the image of her beautiful face out, it just crept back in a few seconds later, quietly and quite deadly, if Artemis didn't concentrate on the road enough. Just like the huntress herself.

There was a part in Artemis which yearned - _begged _for the girl's attention and affection. There was a fire in the goddess's heart, a fire which had been reduced to a small spark with Zoë's death, and had been rekindled by Wisty's arrival.

She desperately wanted the girl to acknowledge her as _her_ \- not as a goddess, or her mistress, but as _Artemis. _And, just maybe, a part of her hoped that maybe - just _maybe _\- that the dark-haired girl returned her affection.

But the goddess was afraid to ask. To confess her unbridled adulation for the green-eyed Hunter. Not love, not yet, not so soon. Love is too strong a word, one which should not be thrown around lightly. After all, the last time it had happened…

She remembered the incident centuries ago, when Artemis had confronted her former Lieutenant and admitted her love for the daughter of Atlas. She remembered the stricken expression on her normally composed face, and realized just how big of a burden she had dumped on the former Hesperide.

"My-my lady, I-I am, sorry, but I do not know…" and Artemis's heart had sunk, but she managed a brave smile.

"It is fine, my dear," she had told her, and turned away, not trusting herself to speak another word. She was about to walk off when she felt the girl's hands on her shoulder.

"My lady...please, give me some time. Time to sort through my emotions...my feelings for you. I cannot give a definite answer at this time…"

"Then that is all I ask for, Zoë." Artemis smiled, a much brighter smile, because at least she still had a chance, however slim that chance was.

And the tension between them has been palpably thick for the last few centuries, right up until her death. Zoë never gave a definite answer in return - but Artemis sensed that she was about to say something, in the final moments of her millennia-long life. The goddess deeply regretted not resolving their relationship before the huntress's death.

Which was why the goddess is afraid. She didn't wish to put such a burden and pressure on the object of her affection, especially one so young, and although the goddess knew she was anything but, delicate. There is a war brewing, and it would not do to stress one of the potential deciding factors - and Artemis firmly believed that Wisty still has a part to play. She believed that the best course of action right now is to just let things be, and maybe, just _maybe, _something could happen. Something good. Something amazing.

Artemis almost laughed at herself, a virgin goddess, hopelessly entangled in the webs of Aphrodite's game. She could almost imagine the red arrows of Eros piercing her heart.

She was startled out from her thoughts by a soft, clear voice beside her. The goddess glanced over to see Wisty, her eyes closed, her face relaxed, and her lips moving ever so slightly to the beat of the music. To Artemis, the girl had never looked more beautiful.

And her voice...Artemis dared to say it rivaled Apollo's musical talents. Her voice was quiet but firm, both of which Artemis associated with the daughter of Poseidon. The words seemed to flow effortlessly out from her mouth, the notes, high or low, held with minimal difficulty. It reminded her of the calmness of the oceans at night, with the full moon hanging bright over the sea. It reminded her of her favorite activities - hunting, mingling with her Hunters, and her childhood on the island of Delos, when she played with her twin brother in the woods every day. She recalled the carefree days of Ancient Greece, running with her Hunters in the beautiful wild, before mortal technology appeared. Her voice made her forget all her troubles. She forgot about the impending battle in San Francisco, her problems with her heart, the disputes in her immortal family. In that moment, Artemis was totally lost in the mesmerizing melody of Wisty's voice.

* * *

Wisty didn't notice that she was singing. She also didn't notice that Artemis's hands had slipped off the wheel for whatever reason. She _did _notice, albeit too late, the road fence straight up ahead which they were about to smash into.

"Uh, my lady?" Wisty asked nervously, stopping her small, unintentional performance. She noticed the goddess staring at her, her silver eyes far away, as if recalling something from a long time ago. Artemis flinched at the sound of Wisty's voice, snapped her head back towards the road, and barely managed to avoid a full-on collision as the moon chariot/Jeep just managed to scrape by the barrier.

"My lady, are you okay?" Phoebe's voice crackled over the intercom. "You almost crashed into the fence."

"Yes, we're fine, Phoebe," Artemis replied, her face a slight shade of red.

"_We're _fine?" Wisty could just imagine Phoebe's grin as her teasing voice came through the speakers. "Is Wisty with you?"

"You know the answer to that question, Lieutenant," Artemis replied unemotionally.

"I see," Phoebe snickered. "Was our new Hunter, by any chance, the cause of your distraction?" Wisty frowned. She didn't know what she could've done to distract the goddess.

"I do not know what you are insinuating to," Artemis answered coldly.

"Of course you don't, my lady," Phoebe responded. "I wasn't hinting at anything at all. Anyways, I think we should stop for the night here. It is getting quite late."

Artemis sighed, obviously relieved to be off the hook for now. "Very well. We will stop at the next source of water we see. Relay the message to the rest."

"Yes, my lady," Phoebe said. "Treat your girl right, will you? You won't have many more chances before we-" Artemis pushed a button that snapped the connection, and sighed.

"Sometimes," the goddess muttered tiredly, "I wonder if it was a good idea to form a band of eternal teenagers."

Wisty shrugged noncommittally in an attempt to cover up her flustered expression due to Phoebe's comment. "Everyone loves some drama, once in a while."

Artemis nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that is true. This little leg-pull of Phoebe's might be the most exciting thing that's happened in over a century." Wisty winced at the word 'little leg-pull'. She disliked the way Artemis seemed to dismiss it as a simple prank, especially since her feelings begged to differ.

"What were you distracted by, anyways, my lady?" Wisty asked, attempting to change the subject. She saw that she was successful when she saw the sudden tensing of Artemis's shoulders. Her hands involuntarily tightened around the wheel, her knuckles nearly white with no blood - or ichor, in the goddess's case. "I'm sorry," Wisty hastened to apologize, "I didn't mean to-"

Artemis winced slightly, barely perceptible, but Wisty caught it. She wondered what she'd done to make her upset. "It is fine, Wisteria." she paused, as if debating something, then apparently came to a conclusion. "It was your singing which distracted me, if you must know."

Wisty suddenly felt extremely awkward. She wasn't sure if Artemis was complimenting her or the other way around. "Um…"

"Your singing is beautiful, dear," Artemis assured her.

"Really?" Wisty mumbled, abashed.

"Yes, really," Artemis confirmed.

"Uh...thanks, I guess," Wisty muttered. She wasn't sure what was redder: her face, or an overly ripe strawberry.

"You are welcome," Artemis replied. "We are stopping here, next to this stream."

"Er, right." They lapsed into silence as Artemis slowed her chariot down to a stop right next to the creek. They both got out of the car to see the rest of the Hunt quite some ways behind them. Artemis must've sped up without Wisty noticing anything.

Wisty yawned. The day's activities had taken quite a lot out of her, even with the gigantic double crispy chicken burger she ate. Artemis must've noticed, because she gave Wisty a soft pat on the back. "You did well today," she told her gently. "Set up your tent, and get some well-deserved rest. We have a long day tomorrow, and I'm sure you are excited to see your friends again."

"Yes, my lady," Wisty responded dutifully as she tossed down the square of fabric. She watched as it expanded into her tent, _Αστέρια_, a motion which she has gotten used to over the past few days. She was about to head inside when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Artemis staring at her with an intensity which made Wisty slightly nervous.

"My lady?" she asked apprehensively.

Artemis remained in that position for a moment longer, than seemed to shake herself out of her stupor. "My apologies, my huntress."

"It's okay." Wisty turned around to enter her tent once again. She had a foot inside the flaps when she felt lips brush her cheeks.

Wisty froze. She barely managed to comprehend the words as Artemis whispered: "Goodnight, my bloom." Her knees seemed to be locked in their position, her eyes wide open, her head spinning with dozens of different emotions: excitement, nervousness, confusion, happiness, pleasure, and many others she couldn't name. She almost didn't catch the soft footsteps of the goddess as Artemis retreated to set up her own quarters.

Artemis had kissed her. It wasn't a full kiss, heck, it wasn't even on the lips, but Wisty felt like she could melt right there and then. Her heart swelled with giddiness and delight as she realized she'd been recognized by the object of her affection - _marked, _if you will. Gingerly, she touched the spot on her cheek where Artemis's soft lips had brushed her. The patch of skin was still tingling.

Wisty wasn't sure how long she remained in that position, with one foot inside her tent and one hand touching her cheek. To anyone else, she must've looked ridiculous - a teenage girl, frozen, right outside her tent. If mortal police saw her, they would take her to a hospital.

_Goodnight, my bloom._

_My bloom. _Just like what Artemis had called her in her dream.

"Goodnight to you too, my lady," Wisty murmured as she slowly walked to her bed. "Goodnight to you too."

* * *

_Phoebe is an annoying sidekick, isn't she? I love her._


	12. XII

_Eid Mubarak to any Muslim readers out there! Enjoy, and happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 12 (Dec 26th)**

Wisty had hoped that Artemis's kiss would grant her a dreamless sleep, considering the big day tomorrow. Unfortunately, her sleep was anything but dreamless.

She found herself inside a taxi, on the right seat at the back, Thalia and Luke besides her. There was an unfamiliar boy sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Are you sure we should meet up with the Hunters?" Thalia asked.

Luke shrugged. He looked tired, his normally bright blue eyes were nearly grey with exhaustion and worry. His clothes were smeared with dirt, grease and ash, probably from monsters they had encountered, and he had a long, recently cut gash on his right arm, still bloodied and uncleaned. Now that Wisty had noticed, none of the quest members looked exactly top-tier right now.

"We have no choice," he said. "The prophecy decrees it."

The unfamiliar boy in the front frowned. "Guys, maybe we shouldn't talk about this here," he said, glancing at the driver warily, but he only smiled.

"Half-bloods, eh?" he smirked. "On a quest, I reckon."

"How do you know?" Thalia growled, her hand involuntarily drifting to her spear in its dormant form, and Luke's hand gripped Anaklusmos in its pen form, a parting gift from Zoë, but the driver merely shrugged.

"Mean you no harm, lads," he said, holding up his hands from the wheel. "I'm old Hephaestus's kid."

'You're a demigod?" Thalia narrowed her eyes. "How are you so old?"

The driver laughed. "Some of us do survive, y'know. Monsters lose interest in the old 'uns. It's the younglings they want. "

Luke glanced at the driver warily, but seemed to arrive at a conclusion. "Yes, we're on a quest."

The driver swerved onto another street. "Dabbling with the Hunters, eh? Be careful, you never know what they might do if you anger 'em. Especially their Lieutenant...Zoë, I think her name was."

Wisty instantly shot up from her seat but realized she couldn't interact with anything in the dream. _The driver knew Zoë?_

The boy at the front coughed. "Right, but we..._they _have an old friend there. So everything should be fine, right?"

Luke shrugged. "I guess, but it's not the Hunt I'm worried about. It's what will happen if we meet up with them."

The driver frowned. "Don't mess with prophecies, youngster. I had my fair share of 'em back in the days. They always bite ya in the backside if ya do."

Thalia collapsed against the back of the seat wearily. "But if we meet up with them, Wisty…"

Wisty frowned. The prophecy had obviously said something about her, but what? Thalia and Luke seemed awfully concerned…

Luke put an arm around Thalia's shoulder, and she visibly relaxed into his embrace. "We have to make a choice," he said with melancholic acceptance, although of _what, _Wisty wasn't sure. "We can't leave Annabeth."

Thalia still looked troubled. "But…"

Luke squeezed her gently. "Annabeth is family, remember? I know it's hard, Thals, but we have to."

Thalia sighed. "I suppose so."

The driver spoke again. "Sounds like you lads have a bit of a hard road ahead of ya. Tell ya what, tell me this riddle of the Fates, and I'll see if I can be a helpin' hand."

Luke eyed him. "And why would you do that?"

The driver laughed boisterously. "I need some excitement in my life, kid. A half-blood's always a half-blood - we need some action, always. Now, tell me the damn thing."

Luke hesitated, as if contemplating his options. Finally, he seemed to reach a conclusion as he opened his mouth. "The prophecy goes like this…"

Then her dream changed. She stood atop the mystery mountain once again. Annabeth looked even worse than before. Her clothes were in complete tatters, and she had fresh whip marks all over her face and body. Her arms hung limply from the shackles which restricted her to the wall.

A black wall of fire erupted in front of her and died down to reveal the Titan Koios. "Well, owl spawn?" he spat. "Have you decided?"

Annabeth glared at him weakly through bloodshot eyes. One of her eyelids were swollen, nearly obstructing her eye completely. "My answer remains the same," she spat. "I won't betray my mother and friends."

Koios chuckled maniacally, his dark eyes glinting with menace. "I must say, your endurance is impressive. Are you sure of your answer? Say the sentence - a very simple sentence - and your torture will stop. Your pain will disappear along with the terrible wounds on your body. You'll be granted power - power unlike anything you've ever seen."

Annabeth refused to meet his gaze. "No."

"Think carefully," Koios insisted. "I have seen your dream - to rebuild everything from scratch, a better world, a peaceful world, where demigods can exist without worry. Kronos can grant you that, and much more. You can be his right-hand man - or woman - in the New Age. Is that really so bad?"

Annabeth hesitated, and Wisty almost thought she was going to give in. Obviously, the comments about her dream had struck a nerve within her.

"No," she finally said flatly.

Koios hummed with amusement. "Very well. You have until sunset to rethink your decision, daughter of Athena. Monsters, return to your duties."

"Gladly, my lord," the dracaena cackled as she lashed Annabeth across her face again, drawing a pain-filled grunt from the girl. Wisty wanted to bound forwards and stab the monster in the gut, but before she could do that, Koios frowned and turned vaguely in her direction, but his gaze was unfocused and confused.

"I sense a presence…" he muttered, sweeping the cavern with his cold, dark gaze. "But it is not clear. What is this?"

Wisty smirked. So the Titan wasn't able to sense her this time. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she wasn't going to complain. She wanted to stay, to listen more, but her vision darkened as her dream changed again.

This time, she found herself in an unknown room, where a woman lovingly cradled a baby in her arms. She was certainly very beautiful, much like Wisty's mother, but what caught Wisty's attention were her sea-green eyes and dark hair. She looked so much like an older version of herself that Wisty had to refrain from checking whether she was in front of a mirror or not. The only difference was that her hair was cut short so it framed her face, curling slightly at the ends, while Wisty kept her hair long down to below her shoulders.

As she watched, a column of fire erupted in front of the woman. Wisty tensed, expecting a monster of some sorts, but the woman didn't seem alarmed. She merely laughed as the fire fell away to reveal a burly man with a scraggly beard and generally gruff appearance, wearing a suit and tie and looking as if he'd rather wear anything but that. As she watched, the woman set the baby down on a bed gently before giving the man a kiss.

"You know you don't have to wear that, my lord," she smiled against his lips. "My love for you remains the same however you choose to present yourself." With a jolt, Wisty recognized the man as Hephaestus, the god of fire and blacksmiths, the one she had seen during the winter solstice Council meeting. She had almost gotten caught with Annabeth in one of his traps designed for Ares and Aphrodite. That hadn't been exactly fun.

"Ay, love," he replied and pulled away. "How's our boy?"

The woman smiled as she gazed fondly at her son. "He is cheerful and healthy, dear. Here, would you like to hold him?"

Hephaestus smiled awkwardly as he cradled the baby in his burly arms with excessive care, as if handling a delicate object or machine. The clumsy smile made it clear that the god wasn't used to making the expression.

"Our boy has an important future, Ava," he said. "I sense it."

The woman, presumably Ava, frowned. "I do not want that for him. I wish for him to have a peaceful life, a life of a normal child."

Hephaestus sighed. "As do I. Alas, the Fates have never been kind to demigods. You must send him to Camp Half-Blood before he is twelve, dear."

Ava smiled sadly as she took the baby back into her arms. "Then I must enjoy every moment I can with him," she said.

Hephaestus nodded. "Take care of him well, love." Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the god cursed in Ancient Greek. "That would be my cue. Zeus doesn't like us spendin' time in the mortal world too much these days. It might be some time before I can see you again." With that last warning, the god disappeared in another flash of fire.

Ava stared at the empty space where the god had been, before refocusing on her baby, who cooed and gave her a toothy grin. "Your father loves you, you know?" she patted him on the head. "He can't stay for too long at a time though, and I must let him go eventually, for he is a god."

The boy grinned and sucked on his thumb, making Ava laugh.

"I name you Tychi, my boy," she said. "Luck, because I sense you'll need it."

Wisty awoke with a start, her eyes snapping open, the faint light from the self-adjusting candles helping her chase off the rest of the dryness in her eyes. Something about the last dream was important, but she couldn't seem to put the puzzle pieces together. It was like a thought that floated just outside of the reaches of her mind, tantalizingly close yet so far away. Frowning, Wisty decided to think about it later.

She heard some ruckus outside and realized that it must've been morning already. As she dressed, the events of last night began to return to her. Well, one particular event specifically.

Reaching up, she softly touched the place on her cheek, where Artemis's lips had brushed. The kiss was a chaste one, barely a slight brush, and Wisty knew she shouldn't be getting her hopes up, but she couldn't help but feel giddy and slightly excited at the chance that perhaps the goddess saw her as more than just another Hunter.

She wondered how Artemis would interact with her today. Something told her the the goddess had lost control last night, and Wisty was slightly afraid of what the goddess would say, or do.

_Well, only one way to find out. _Wisty shrugged as she pulled on her combat boots and marched out of her tent, into the bright morning sunlight.

"You okay?" Phoebe frowned at Wisty as they ate breakfast - just some mortal cereal, unfortunately, and a fresh salad prepared by Cynthia and Naomi. "You've been touching your cheek all morning."

Wisty flinched and removed her hand from her cheek. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she muttered.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "I'm your friend and sister, Jackson. Now tell me what's wrong before I beat up that _podex _of yours."

"Nothing's wrong!" Wisty replied a little too quickly. "Just that Artemis-" she clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Phoebe narrowed her eyes and grinned.

"What was that, Jackson?" she asked. "Did I hear something about Lady Artemis?"

"Uh, no?" Wisty said hopefully, silently pleading with her to drop the subject, but Phoebe was unrelenting.

"C'mon, tell me," she insisted. "Why do you keep touching that spot on your cheek? What does it have to do with Artemis?" By now, the conversation between Wisty and Phoebe had attracted the attention of all the other Hunters. Wisty groaned as her sisters all started pelting her with dozens of different questions, such as:

"Why do you keep touching your cheek?" Wisty ignored that one successfully.

"What did you do with Lady Artemis in her car?" Wisty shot Cynthia a glare to cover up her red face.

And Aerwyna, the innocent-as-always girl: "Why is Wisty's face red?" At this point, Wisty was ready to sucker-punch the next Hunter who asked another question, regardless of whoever they are, but then she heard one from Isabelle that made her stiffen and nearly have a heart attack:

"Did Lady Artemis kiss you?"

The whole camp grew deathly silent. Everyone's eyes were trained on her. Wisty wished she could crawl under the table and disappear. She was fairly sure that if any more blood rushed to her face, it would explode.

"Well?" Phoebe prompted. "Did she?"

Wisty's brain whirled at record speeds as she tried to think of a plausible explanation. Fortunately, at that moment, Artemis arrived at camp in a silver flash of light, back from wherever she had been in the morning. When Wisty had asked Phoebe about it, the Lieutenant had shrugged and told her that she had to sort out some "stuff".

The goddess surveyed the scene in front of her: all of her Hunters staring at a tomato-red Wisty. Her gaze lingered on Wisty slightly longer than usual, before resuming her sweep of the table, "Girls," she said, "what is happening?"

"Oh...nothing, my lady," Phoebe answered with a smirk. "We were just interrogating Wisty here on some _things_."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "I see," she said at last. "Get ready to move again. We should arrive at San Francisco in a few hours to meet up with the demigods from Camp Half-Blood." A few Hunters scowled at the prospect of having to interact with campers, particularly the boys, but they all started to disperse to pack up their tents. Wisty headed towards her tent as well, relieved to have gotten away from the Hunters' questioning, when she heard Phoebe's last, teasing remark:

"Was the kiss nice?"

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Artemis said, her brows furrowed in concentration. Wisty thought she looked cute when she did that. "You are saying that your friends met up with another demigod son of Hephaestus, and he has joined them in their quest?"

Wisty shrugged, trying not to stare openly at Artemis's face. "He might have. He said he'll see what he can do."

"And Koios has given Annabeth until sunset tomorrow," Artemis mused. "That should give us ample time to rendezvous with the questers, assuming that nothing out of the ordinary happens." She smiled wryly. "Although, having you with us greatly diminishes that chance."

Wisty snorted. "Understatement of the century." It's true. Whenever Wisty was along for anything, stuff tended to not go as planned. Need an example? Their bus to New Jersey on her first quest - blew up within the first ten minutes. An ordinary dodgeball game at school? Turns into a fight for her life against some Laistrygonians. A short quest to save two half-bloods at a creepy boarding school? Ends up costing Bianca and Zoë their lives. Nothing seemed to go right when she was there - and often, the results were quite horrible.

Artemis seemed to have read her thoughts, because Wisty caught her softened gaze through the rearview mirror. "You must not blame yourself for their deaths, Wisteria. They made their own choices. As the Fates have decreed, you could not have done anything to prevent them."

Wisty winced. She knew, deep down, that Artemis was right, but a part of her still thought, if she had taken Bianca's place inside the Talos defection, or if she hadn't been on the ground so that Zoë had to protect her, maybe they wouldn't have died.

"Damn the Fates," she muttered. "They love making my life miserable."

Artemis smiled dryly but didn't comment. The pair, goddess and Hunter, lapsed into an awkward silence for the next few hours. Since Phoebe had kicked her out yesterday, Wisty had basically moved into Artemis's moon chariot, permanently. She tried to distract herself with small things - her fingernails, loose strands of her dark hair, her glowing vambraces - to avoid staring at Artemis, but once in a while, she would crack and glance over at Artemis. The goddess's face remained impassive throughout the drive. If she had caught Wisty's stolen looks, she didn't comment.

Wisty wanted to talk about their little incident last night...but at the same time, she didn't. She was afraid of what Artemis would say - that it was a mistake, an impulse, a trick from Aphrodite, maybe. She wanted the kiss to be genuine and _real _\- not just some urge or some love goddess trying to stir up drama.

_Follow your heart. _The love goddess's words echoed around in Wisty's mind. The only thing was, she wasn't too sure of where her heart was going herself.

She could almost imagine Phoebe tearing her hair out in frustration - _WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SAY SOMETHING? ANYTHING? STOP TORTURING YOURSELF!_

But unfortunately, Wisty, who had faced down monsters, gods and even Titans, did not have the courage to confess her feelings to a girl (even if she was a goddess). So, she stayed silent for the rest of the drive.

Sometime around late afternoon, they arrived at Westfield Shopping Mall, San Francisco. The Hunters settled into the a cafe with the least amount of males as they waited for the questers' arrival.

Wisty frowned. They've been waiting for a solid thirty minutes, and there were no signs of the questers. She was _fairly _sure her Iris-message had gotten through earlier.

"Where _are _these boys?" Phoebe groaned as she sipped on her third cup of triple espresso. "They were meant to be here half an hour ago!"

Wisty could only sigh as she sipped her hot chocolate, a welcome source of warmth in the winter air (for some reason, there was no air-conditioning in the mall, and Wisty suspected that Artemis had something to do with that).

Suddenly, an Iris-message shimmered into existence next to her. Wisty jumped up, excited at the prospect of doing something else than sipping hot chocolate, staring out the window and trying not to stare at Artemis, who had been lounging on a couch in the cafe, nursing a cup of cappuccino coffee. In a flash, the goddess joined them in focusing on the Iris-message.

Luke, Thalia, the unfamiliar boy, and the taxi driver from before crowded in the image. All of them looked exhausted and hungry. All of them were covered in monster dust and grime. Luke's scar was partially hidden by a smudge of soot, and Thalia's normally spiky hair was wet and wild.

"Gods," Wisty blinked. "What _happened _to you guys?"

Luke grinned good-naturedly. "Ran into some monsters - fell in a river, and had some angry naiads trying to drown us, but its all good. Anyways, we might be a little late." His eyes widened when he noticed Artemis. Quickly, he bowed. The rest of the demigods quickly did the same.

Artemis had an impassive expression as she surveyed the group. Her gaze landed on the taxi driver son of Hephaestus. "Tychi Johnson, son of Hephaestus, correct?"

Wisty's eyes widened, and she hoped no one noticed. This was the same son of Hephaestus as the baby in her dream! She knew she was missing some puzzle piece.

But for some reason, she felt like the puzzle had not been completed yet. Not quite. There was one, crucial piece of information that she was missing.

The son of Hephaestus nodded respectfully. "Yes, ma'am," he replied.

Artemis nodded in reply. Wisty took the opportunity to butt in: "How late are you guys going to be?"

Thalia frowned. "We're in the outskirts of California right now, so I'd say...around two hours? Maybe three?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes and turned to Wisty. "I _told _you they'd be hindrances-"

"Er, right," Wisty interrupted. "Anyways, sure, we'll wait for you at…" she glanced at the cafe pamphlet. "Cafe Olympia." _Weird name, _she thought. "If that's okay with you, of course, my lady," she added quickly.

Artemis nodded in agreement. "That's fine. We await your arrival." She slashed a hand through the image, and it dissolved. The rest of the Hunt groaned in exasperation. Wisty heard multiple _"boys" _muttered around the cafe. The mortal barista looked like she was about to faint. Wisty wasn't sure what she saw through the mist. Maybe a giant flat-screen TV with a video call there.

"So, what should we do?" Naomi demanded. "We're going to be late on schedule because of these _boys _and that girl."

Artemis pondered this, but it was Cynthia who spoke up. She stood up, tugging Naomi along with her.

"We could explore the mall," she suggested. Artemis looked like she was about to refuse, but Phoebe butted in.

"Yeah," she added, "we rarely go out into the mortal world - er, I mean city," she quickly corrected after glancing over at the barista. "It'd be a welcome experience."

"I want to see the mall!" Aerwyna squeaked. Isabelle bobbed her head up and down furiously in agreement.

"Come on, my lady," Wisty insisted. "The younger ones need some entertainment."

"Fine," Artemis relented. "We'll go in pairs - two girls per group. Meet back here in an hour, sharp."

"Yay!" Aerwyna giggled as she high-fived Isabelle with their small hands.

"Who's going to take them?" Wisty whispered to Phoebe.

"We'll take the young ones," Naomi called out alongside Cynthia. That's one problem solved.

"Want to go with me?" Wisty offered to Phoebe, but the daughter of Ares shook her head.

"Oh, no, I'm going with Jasmine," she said. Wisty glanced at the rest of the group. They all had a partner and were all smirking at her. The only available person left was…

Artemis.

"For the gods' sake," Wisty muttered. Phoebe grinned deviously at her.

"Well?" she prompted. "There's only one choice left. I'm sure Lady Artemis wouldn't feel safe about a Hunter going into a mall filled with boys alone...would she?"

Artemis remained stoic, although she was being backed into a corner like a cat does to a mouse. "I will go with Wisty," she said. The Hunt erupted in cheers. The barista looked thoroughly confused.

"It's a date!" someone called out. Wisty wasn't sure who it was.

The girls began to file out of the cafe. Phoebe smirked at her as she exited the doors with Jasmine. "Enjoy your time alone," she told her.

"Thanks," Wisty mumbled. Soon, everyone had left, and only Wisty and Artemis remained. They stood there awkwardly for a few minutes. The barista smirked knowingly at them. This part she knew. Working in a cafe, she was all too familiar with the stages of romantic attachment.

Although, she wondered about the auburn-haired, teenage girl addressed as "Lady Artemis" by the others of the group. She also wondered at how a giant touchscreen TV had suddenly appeared and disappeared inside the cafe. Shaking her head, she dismissed it as a result of stress.

"Well, um," Wisty began awkwardly. "Shall we go, my lady?"

Artemis smiled cordially. "We shall, my huntress. Where do you want to go first?"

"Uh…" Wisty stammered. "Maybe the food court? It's nearly, uh, dinnertime."

Artemis smirked. "Actually, Wisteria, it is only five o'clock. But no matter, food court it is." She grabbed Wisty's hand, making her jump self-consciously, and lead the way out of the cafe, Wisty following awkwardly behind. She was sure her face couldn't be redder than it already was, and, judging from the sly glances passersby threw at her, that assumption was correct.

But, underneath her embarrassment and awkwardness, Wisty was bubbling in excitement and elation. She wasn't sure if this was a date, if it counted as one, considering the...well, less than ideal circumstances they were in, and the weirdness of their relationship, but she'd take what she can get.

After all, she couldn't ask for more than a relaxing dinner with a beautiful goddess, right?

* * *

_This chapter, perhaps, makes it most obvious: the romance development was not enough. A world where Hunters unequivocally support Artemis having a relationship is probably just wishful thinking. Still, i think it's sweet._


	13. XIII

_Sorry! I've been slacking off. In Australia, it's arrived at the point in the school year when there are multiple tests every week. Especially since I'm doing two math subjects and chemistry...a lot of work. I forgot about updating this story, which is really no excuse as it's literally finished and sitting in my Google drive._

_On the bright side, the work's paid off. I got 100% for one of the tests and did well on the other few._

_If you haven't noticed, **'it's nice to meet you' **__is up on the PJO x Avengers crossover community! The first chapter details Carol and Percy's first meeting. Note: if you're looking for a Carol x Percy pairing, I'm sorry to disappoint. Their relationship will be very platonic. In a world where every main character is paired with the other, this one should be a breath of fresh air._

_Anyhow, this chapter is quite cheesy. Happy reading regardless!_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"So," Wisty began awkwardly. "What do you want, my lady?"

"Hmm." Artemis considered the menu. Deciding that a food court was "too ordinary", the pair had moved to a rather fancy-looking steakhouse on the top floor of the mall, and now they were scanning through the menu to pick their food.

"Maybe some rib-eye steak," the goddess decided. "With some fresh vegetables and black pepper sauce."

Wisty raised an eyebrow. "Why, the goddess of the wild using mortal sauce? How very unbefitting of your domain."

Artemis rolled her eyes, and for a moment, Wisty could almost believe she was just another teenage girl. "My domains have nothing to do with my food preferences."

"Hm," Wisty hummed, unconvinced. "Why does Ares like pork so much, then?"

Artemis laughed softly. "Perhaps it is because he is such a pig," she suggested, coaxing a chuckle out of Wisty. "Have you picked your food, dear?"

Wisty blushed. "Uh-um, I think so, I mean yeah, I mean yes, my la-"

Artemis laughed again and reached across the table, placing her slender fingers on Wisty's cheek, which did _not _help her concentrate on the menu. "Relax, Wisteria. I enjoy teasing you, and you seem to be easily flustered." _Only around you, _Wisty thought.

"Anyways," she changed the subject. "I think I'll have the T-bone, with the same sauce as you."

"Of course," Artemis smiled. "And you will order Coca Cola as always, I presume."

Wisty was flattered that the goddess had remembered her favorite drink. "Yes, although I highly doubt that there are any blue ones around."

"No," Artemis agreed. "Unfortunately, the utensils here are not as convenient as the ones we have. I think I will grab some wine."

"Wouldn't they be suspicious of two teenagers ordering wine?" Wisty asked.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "I'm a goddess, Wisteria. I have my ways."

Wisty rolled her eyes. "Abusing supernatural powers should be banned in the Ancient Laws."

"Mm," Artemis hummed. "We aren't immortal, all-powerful deities for nothing. We have to have some privileges. Mortal minds are easy to manipulate."

Wisty coughed into her hands.

"Oh, not _you_, dear," Artemis hastened to reassure her. "By _mortals, _I mean mortals, excluding demigods and Hunters...and certainly excluding _you._"

Wisty blushed, but luckily Artemis's attention was on a confused waitress who must've caught their conversation.

"Immortal...all-powerful deities?" she squeaked. Wisty watched, slightly amused, as Artemis waved her hand. The waitress blinked, as if confused, then returned to business as if she never heard the exchange.

"My point is made," Artemis told her with a smug smirk. "I would like to have a rib-eye steak, medium rare with black pepper sauce, please."

"Same for me," Wisty added. "Except for a T-bone instead of a rib-eye."

"Also, a Coke, preferably frozen." The waitress quickly wrote down their orders, curtsied, and hurried off.

"Weren't you going to order wine?" Wisty asked. Artemis merely waved her hands and a bottle of Olympian wine appeared on the table.

"A gift from my half-brother," she said in an answer to Wisty's questioning look. "Some of the finest wines on Olympus."

They made small talk about their impending mission and discussed the events of the past few days. At one point, Wisty brought up Aerwyna. The Japanese young girl certainly had many mysteries that were yet to be uncovered.

"If the Titans deem her important enough to send a specially blessed hellhound after her, she must be powerful," Artemis reasoned. "She had already demonstrated some mysterious powers as you have encountered."

"Yeah," Wisty agreed, recalling the wall of darkness. "Do you think she'll be good for the Hunt?"

"Perhaps, when she is older," Artemis said. "She certainly has spirit, and talent. I suspect the reason you found so little on your hunt was largely due to her."

Soon, their food arrived, and the duo ate in comfortable and intimate silence, broken only by the occasional request to pass the salt or pepper. Unfortunately, the silence only fueled Wisty's giddiness at being out in a dinner with Artemis. Every single time their skin touched, a spark would race through her body, and Artemis seemed to especially enjoy "accidentally" brushing their hands and arms together at every opportunity.

_Does this count as a date?_ she wondered in her head. _I really hope it does._

"It can be, if you wish it to be, dear," Artemis said. Wisty blinked. Had the goddess read her thoughts-

"Yes, I have," Artemis smirked. "I'm flattered at the number of good qualities you find in me, Wisty. So many, that one would think you are _attracted _to me."

Wisty froze, a forkful of steak halfway to her mouth. Emotions raced through her mind - panic, excitement, wariness, giddiness, and dozens of others that she can't name. Had the goddess discovered her (not so) secret _attraction _to her?

Artemis must've read this as well, because she walked over to Wisty's side and gave her a reassuring smile. "Relax, dear, your emotions are all over the place."

"My lady, I-" Wisty was cut off by a slim finger in a _shoo _gesture on her lips. She shivered as Artemis sat down beside her and plucked the fork out of her hands, the piece of steak forgotten, setting it down on her plate.

"Let us..._talk, _shall we?" Artemis scooted closer to Wisty, nearly touching her side - but not quite. Her hand snaked around Wisty's body to cup her face. "Now, what would you think, Wisteria, under normal circumstances, would I do to anyone who had an _attraction _to me that surpasses friendship?"

Wisty's body quivered as the goddess's arm slid down her sides to her waist. "Punishment?" she managed to reply.

"Mm." Artemis hummed into her ear. Wisty was acutely aware of the goddess's face inches from her own. She could feel her hot breaths run down her neck. "What kind of punishments?"

"Turned into an animal?" Wisty suggested weakly. "Kicked out of the Hunt?"

"Hmm." Artemis pondered this, her other hand on her chin. "Now, as you are mere hours from sixteen, banishment from the Hunt would not be a viable punishment, would it?"

"N-no, my lady," Wisty gulped.

"And what would your father say, if I turned his favorite daughter into a furry creature?" Artemis shook her head slowly. "No, that would not do. What would you suggest I do, Wisteria?"

"I...I don't know, my lady."

"Hmph. No matter. After all, these are hardly normal circumstances, are they?"

"I...I'm not sure I follow, my lady."

Artemis suddenly laughed, as if she found her answer amusing. Wisty glanced at her to see her silver eyes full of mirth.

"You take everything so seriously, dear," she told Wisty.

Realization dawned on her. "You set me up," she accused her goddess.

Artemis shrugged, neither denying nor confirming the statement.

"Was this all just a huge joke?" Wisty groaned as she realized how hard she'd fallen for her trap. Great. She'd succeeded in embarrassing herself in front of her crush.

Artemis laughed again, this time softer and gentler. "You are too uptight around me, Wisty. I thought I would attempt to relieve some of the tension. Although, not _everything _was a joke."

Wisty blinked. "It wasn't?"

"No, of course not, unless you wish to deny that you have a...how do mortal teens put it these days…"

"Crush?" Wisty offered. If Artemis was trying to relieve the tension, it certainly had worked somewhat. She felt at ease a lot more now that she's confirmed her goddess won't kill her and/or turn her into a jackalope.

"Ah, yes, a _crush _on me." Artemis frowned. "Although the term seems crude, I believe it serves well in describing your feelings towards me. Would you agree?"

"Um...yeah, I guess. I mean, yes, my lady."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "You needn't be so rigid around me, Wisteria. I am not like my family...namely, my father, although I'll deny ever saying that to his face. Only on Olympus do you need to be formal. But I digress. As I was saying, a _crush _describes your current feelings towards me very well, yes?"

"Um, yeah."

Artemis sighed. "You must understand, my huntress, that I _am _a virgin goddess, an eternal maiden who has sworn off relationships forever..."

Wisty's heart sunk. She should have foreseen this. She should have known that a relationship between them would never work. She was a huntress, Artemis was her mistress, an Olympian goddess. There was no way they could've worked out.

"I-I understand, my lady," she managed, swallowing, but Artemis shushed her with a finger.

"I have not finished, dear. As I was saying, I have sworn off relationships forever...with men. Nothing in my oath speaks anything about women."

Wisty blinked. Things were progressing too fast. "Wait, so-"

"And it would seem," Artemis continued, "that you have managed to...catch my attention, shall we say."

"Hold on, so-"

Artemis smiled wryly. "Of course, how your impertinent, blunt personality managed to capture my affection, I have no idea, but I suppose that _is _a part of your charisma. All I am saying is…" she took a deep breath. "We could give this a try," she finished.

Time seemed to slow down as Artemis's words floated around in her head. _You have managed to catch my attention. We could give this a try._

She had dreamed and fantasized about this. Her goddess returning her feelings. She had created thousands of scenarios in her head of them admitting to each other - in a life-or-death situation, perhaps, or at night, gazing upon the stars.

But now that it had happened, she was confused as to how to react. On one hand, she would gladly accept her lady's offer. But she had other factors to consider as well - she was only partially immortal, and Zeus, and her father might not approve, and the war with Kronos. She didn't want to hurt Artemis if something happened to her...

She realized Artemis was looking at her with an expectant expression. She was waiting for an answer. And so, in a split second, Wisty made her decision. To Hades with her mortality. Let Zeus fly out the window - not literally, of course. Who cares about Kronos anyways? She could afford to be selfish for once. This was her own, personal, private life, and they'd do well to stay out of it.

Slowly, a grin stretched across Wisty's lips. "Well, who would be crazy enough to refuse an offer from a goddess?"

Artemis laughed, although her expression was full of relief. "You are a crazy girl, Wisteria. Nothing you do would surprise me."

"Mmm. But that's just another part of my charisma, right?" Wisty gave her goddess a smug look.

Artemis glared at her. "Perhaps, although, occasionally, you could do with less of it." However, she pulled Wisty closer into her body. Wisty sank into the warmth of Artemis's embrace. She sighed in contentment as she nuzzled her head into the goddess's neck, taking pleasure in the small, nearly indiscernible gasp it drew from her.

She withdrew her head just enough to look up at Artemis's face. She was blushing, hard. "My lady," she began, "I've been wanting to ask a question for a long time."

Artemis played with the loose strands of Wisty's hair. "Ask away, dear."

"Why is it that gods and goddesses have golden ichor, but when they blush, it's still red?"

Artemis laughed. "After all that's happened today, you are asking me _that?_"

Wisty smirked. "Yes, my lady. I was afraid if your face was any redder it would explode, so I thought I'd distract you a bit."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" Wisty nodded. Or, she tried to nod, until Artemis leaned down and pressed her lips to hers.

Wisty's mind blanked of any thought and sensation except for the feeling of Artemis's lips on hers. She had imagined this moment many times - more than she cared to count - over the past few days, but never had she ever entertained the idea that it might become a reality.

Well, it happened. Wisty couldn't help but heave a little sigh against the soft lips that had captured her own. Artemis tasted of the wild, the sour and sweetness of the wild berries. Wisty caught the scent of pine trees and the fresh aroma of the forest after rain.

The kiss lasted for less than five seconds, by to Wisty, it felt like an eternity had passed. Finally, Artemis pulled away, leaving Wisty gaping like a fish. She tried to formulate a sentence but ended up with something like "uh-guh-dud".

Artemis smirked down at her expression. "Did that distract you, _Sea Girl_?"

"Uh-what-how-huh?" Wisty's brain still wasn't working properly. It was too overloaded with the scent and taste of Artemis.

Artemis laughed, a light, relaxed sound that Wisty couldn't get enough of. "You are adorable, Wisteria, especially when you are flustered."

Wisty growled. She wasn't going to get away so easily. Flipping herself around so she now straddled Artemis, she pushed her goddess down on the couch seat. "I'll have you know, my lady," she murmured next to her ear, "that you just stole my first kiss, without my permission."

Artemis's wide silver eyes brimmed with anticipation and want. "And what are you going to do about it, _Sea Girl?_"

Wisty growled again as she slammed her lips down on Artemis's, her hands wounding into her auburn hair. Their lips locked as the pair of lovers battled for dominance. In the end, completely unexpectedly, Artemis hooked an arm under Wisty's chest, making her gasp and lose concentration momentarily. Taking advantage of her moment of vulnerability, Artemis flipped them over so that Wisty was now underneath the goddess.

"Impertinent little huntress," she whispered into her ear. Wisty was hit with a wave of déjà vu - that was exactly what Artemis had said in her dream. "Were you foolish enough to believe, perhaps, that the goddess of hunting could be caught so easily?"

Wisty could only gasp and moan as Artemis trailed kisses down her jawline towards her neck. Who knew the virgin goddess could be so good at cuddling? She felt her body growing hotter and hotter as Artemis's kisses left a wet trail on her skin.

Suddenly, a squeak from somewhere besides them startled Wisty from her wonderland of pleasure. Artemis sprung apart from her faster than the speed of sound as Wisty noticed the waitress from before staring at them with wide eyes, her face totally red.

"Um-uh-yeah, I'll leave you two be!" she hurried off. Wisty groaned as she put her face in her hands, but Artemis merely laughed it off, although her face was red as well.

She waved her hand. "There, all is fine. She won't remember a thing."

Wisty sighed in relief, then shook her head. "Who knew a virgin goddess could be so good at cuddling?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I never thought the lessons Aphrodite forced on the goddesses would be useful...seems like I was wrong."

Wisty nearly choked. "Aphrodite forces the goddesses to take lessons in...erm, making out?"

Artemis glanced at her wrist, even though she didn't have a watch. "Ah, look at the time! We should get back, your friends will be here any second now."

She left a hundred-dollar bill on the table the pair walked out, hand in hand, of the steakhouse. Wisty leaned her head against Artemis's shoulder.

"You seem to enjoy my shoulder, dear heart," Artemis smirked. "Perhaps we should move you permanently to my tent, so you can use it more?" To her surprise, Wisty merely smiled and said:

"I would like that."

A cough from behind them sounded. Wisty jumped and glanced back to see Phoebe and Jasmine grinning at them.

Artemis turned around as well. "Oh...Lieutenant Phoebe, Jasmine," she greeted nonchalantly, but the two girls were having none of it.

"So are you two official?" Phoebe asked excitedly, glancing at their intertwined hands. "What happened? Where'd you go? Have you kissed?"

Wisty shot her a half-hearted glare. "We're in public, Phoebe."

Phoebe shrugged. "Who cares?"

Wisty noticed something in her hand. "Is that...is that a _camera?" _she demanded. Phoebe whistled as she discreetly put her hands behind her back.

"Uh, no?" she answered hopefully. "So, how are you, my lady? Did you have a good evening?"

Artemis sighed as she waved her hands. Phoebe yelped as the camera disappeared from her grasp.

"Cheater," she grumbled. Jasmine looked disappointed as well.

"Head back to the cafe, girls," Artemis ordered. "We are almost late."

Phoebe straightened. "Of course, Lady Artemis. Make sure you don't, ah, take any detours. We wouldn't want Wisty's friends to, um, wait." The pair ran off before either Wisty or Artemis could react in an unladylike manner.

Artemis shook her head in mock annoyance, but a smile played on her lips. "Let's go, Wisty," she told Wisty.

And so Wisty's head resumed its position on Artemis's shoulder, as the new couple walked hand in hand towards Cafe Olympia.

* * *

_Cheesy, I know. Classic classy date. But this probably conveys that teenager-ish crush vibe better than anything too profound. My defense for this cheesiness is that Wisty hasn't matured enough to consider the implications, and Artemis is too caught up in the moment to care. Regardless, I tried very hard not to squirm when reading this again after two years. But I think we should all look back upon our roots as something which has propelled us forward instead of something to leave behind, no? This story was the birth of the character, Wisteria Jackson. She is Percy in many ways but to say she _is _Percy would be reductive. There is much more to her than what meets the eye._

_For those of you asking - _Sea Girl_'s next chapter is coming. There are a few more surprises in store! _ERtH _chapter won't be finished until I finish the _Sea Girl_ one. If you haven't checked it out, there was a semi-recent update of _ERtH. _Just a reminder._

_If you didn't read the start, go check out **'it's nice to meet you' **__on PJO x Avengers, a moment-based story about Percy and Carol's friendship - the beginning, the twists and turns, etc. and all that. It's something new for me, and I think I got off to a good start. I was originally planning on writing a full-on story centered around Percy and Wanda, but with all this negativity towards Brie Larson and by (illogical) extension her character I thought I'd write something which shows Captain Marvel as who she is in my eyes - a positive role model who may be headstrong but regardless has a depth which hasn't quite been explored by her origin story movie. Hope you enjoy it!_

_As always, Ciao! _


	14. XIV

_For those who didn't read this in 2017, this chapter is one of the most intense in terms of emotional vulnerability from Wisty. Regardless - or perhaps given - the lack of buildup towards this eruption, I think the emotions hereinafter are genuine enough to make some impact. Of course, 2019 me knows better than to suddenly throw in a tamper tantrum episode, but this wasn't written by 2019 me. _

_Lovey-dovey chapters seem to be especially liked, just as stories with romance, whatever their quality, are always more well-received. I suppose we're all innately drawn to happiness, and there is no greater cause of happiness - I think - than love._

_But, this chapter's conflict stems from a clash between friendship and sisterhood, so perhaps the opposite is also true..._

_Anyways, I'll stop here. As always, happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Wisty was sitting in Artemis's lap, idly staring out the window, when an Iris-message shimmered into existence.

By now, the whole Hunt had more or less guessed their relationship, although they didn't openly admit it, but it was quite obvious to everyone, especially when Artemis leaned down and kissed Wisty's cheek.

Anyways, Wisty blinked at the Iris-message. As the connection formed, it showed a tired and sweaty Thalia gesturing wildly at them.

"Group of _dracaenae _and hellhounds," she gasped urgently, then turned away to spear a hellhound in the snout, causing it to disintegrate. "In the parking lot outside, surface level, quick. Maybe twenty-five or so. We can't hold for much longer."

It was then when she noticed Wisty's position on Artemis's lap. She blinked. "Um…"

But Wisty was already off, Artemis and the Hunt close behind them, leaving the Iris-message shimmering in the cafe. She wondered how the mortal barista was going to deal with it.

Tugging on her pendant, she sprinted out onto the parking lot, scanning the area for Thalia...there! Fifty meters away, there were a group of people battling snake women and giant dogs. Willing her pendant to morph into a sword, Wisty darted through the parked cars towards the skirmish.

"Hunters!" Artemis called calmly. Wisty marveled at her ability to stay calm during any situation. "We must engage in close combat! We cannot risk injuring the demigods."

Wisty barely noticed the rest of the Hunt reluctantly drawing hunting knives as she dashed towards Thalia. In the corner of her vision, she saw a hellhound pin down the unfamiliar camper. She raced towards him, but she knew she wouldn't make it in time.

Suddenly, a blur flashed through the air right next to her, followed by a howl of pain from the hellhound. She noticed the silver arrow in its side and turned around to see her goddess holding her symbol of power.

Artemis smiled at her. "Go. Help the boy."

Wisty nodded her thanks and ran towards the injured boy, who was clutching his side in pain. Hurriedly, she searched her pockets for a piece of ambrosia and gave it to him.

"Thanks…" the boy groaned as he shakily stood up. He held out a hand towards her. "Butch Walker, son of Iris," he introduced.

"Wisteria Jackson," Wisty replied in kind. On pure instinct, she ducked, pulling Butch down with her, as a blade whirled through the air where her neck had been a split second ago. Spinning around on one leg, she sliced clean through the _dracaena. _With a screech of agony, the monster burst into yellow dust.

Butch stared at her. "Thanks," he managed.

"No problem," Wisty called out as she sprinted back into battle. She noticed Luke getting cornered by a hellhound and a _dracaena _at the same time. Willing for Katharos to appear, she drew back and shot in one smooth motion. The shot penetrated the hellhound's temple, making it crumble into nothingness.

Luke stabbed the _dracaena _in the gut with Riptide as Wisty approached him. "Hey," he greeted. "Nice shot. Great day for a fight, huh?"

"Yeah," Wisty grinned. "Come on, Thalia needs some help."

Luke's gaze instantly sharpened. "Let's go," he urged. The pair sprinted side by side towards Thalia, who was holding her own rather well with her Aegis and electric spear, considering she was fighting three _dracaenae _at once. Every time a _dracaena _got close, she would brandish her fear-inducing shield, and she would stumble back away, hissing.

Wisty must admit, it felt nice to be beside her friends once again, even if it was in less than ideal circumstances. She had missed them from her time in the Hunt.

Luke stabbed a snake woman through her back as Wisty lopped the other's head off. Thalia speared the last one straight through the gut. "I had them," she grumbled. Wisty laughed. Still the same old Thalia.

The trio glanced around the battlefield. All around them, the Hunters were finishing up stragglers. It seemed that none of the monsters were specifically blessed like the one sent after Aerwyna, because they were rather simple to kill. As they watched, said girl pointed towards the last _dracaena. _A shadow appeared underneath the monster and she fell right through it, screaming. Just as abruptly, the shadow vanished, leaving no trace of what had happened a second ago.

Luke's eyes widened. "By the gods," he exclaimed. "Did that girl just do that?"

Wisty nodded. "Her name's Aerwyna. We found her in a forest on our way here. She has a way with shadows."

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Daughter of Hades?"

Wisty shrugged. Truthfully, she didn't think so, but she didn't have a definite answer either. Surveying the rest of the battle, there were no more monsters present. The Hunters had made it through with only minor injuries. Jasmine had a nasty cut on her forehead. Naomi winced as she put weight on her ankle, potentially sprained. Helen, a daughter of Apollo, rushed around. Her hands gave off an orange glow as she healed as much as she could. Wisty joined her, handing out ambrosia and flasks of nectar. She smiled at Artemis as she passed her.

"Well done, dear," Artemis praised. "Although I highly suspect that was not nearly as hard as the battle on the mountain would be."

Wisty nodded. She suspected that was just a scout force, designed to weather down their numbers slightly. Koios likely had a gigantic amount of monsters at his disposal. Sacrificing twenty-five would be like cutting off a few strands of hair - no real change in the situation.

Luke raised an eyebrow at her. She hadn't noticed that he and Thalia had followed her. "'Dear'?" he asked.

Wisty blushed and glanced at him like "_I'll tell you later._" Luke got the message and nodded. Wisty wasn't sure she wanted to tell them about her new relationship with her goddess - she kind of felt like the fewer people knew about it, the better.

Wisty suddenly noticed the missing member of the quest. Glancing around, she didn't see Tychi Johnson anywhere.

"Where's the taxi driver?" she asked.

Thalia shrugged. "He said he was going home to get some supplies. I have no idea what kind of supplies."

"Heroes," Artemis called. The Hunters had gathered in a loose semicircle around her. In the distance, Wisty heard mortal police sirens wailing as they approached their location, probably due to the numerous reports they undoubtedly got about adolescent kids beating up dogs and elderly women with guns and knives.

Wisty went to stand beside Phoebe. Luke, Thalia, and Butch shifted uncomfortably as they stood at a respectful distance away from the rest of the Hunt, because Artemis was scrutinizing them with a piercing gaze.

"We welcome you in joining our expedition to save Annabeth Chase," she said formally.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Artemis," Luke replied just as stiffly. Artemis nodded, satisfied with his response. She gestured at the approaching mortal cops and the already dark sky.

"As you may observe," she said with a hint of challenge in her tone, "It is too late to begin searching for Annabeth. The Hunt will camp around the outskirts of the city. You are welcome to join us, we have a few spare tents-"

"Lady Artemis!" Phoebe complained, but Wisty elbowed her into silence. Artemis leveled a calm gaze on her Lieutenant.

"They are joining us in our quest, so it is only natural that they stay with us," she reasoned. Phoebe scowled but didn't argue.

Artemis scanned the group for any other potential dissenters. When she found none, she nodded. "Very well, it is settled. Let us move before the mortal police converge on our position." Wisty barely had time to warn the demigods before Artemis waved her hand. The world spun around. When the ground stabilized again, Wisty found herself on the edge of a forest. Artemis approached them, her silver eyes gleaming in the darkness of the night.

"Come, heroes," she ordered. "And Wisty, dear. We have a lot to talk about."

"Why does Artemis call you 'dear'?" Thalia whispered into Wisty's ear as they walked towards Artemis's big tent. "You two seem awfully cuddly. Why were you on her lap when I called? And why was she playing with your-"

"Shut up!" Wisty hissed, embarrassed. "We're just friends, nothing more." A complete lie, and she could tell from Thalia's smirk that she knew.

"Only you, Jackson," she shook her head in amusement. "A few days in the Hunt and already have a goddess girlfriend?"

Wisty scowled but didn't try to deny it.

"Goddess girlfriend?" Luke raised an eyebrow from beside them. "What's this?"

"Nothing," Wisty said quickly. "Where's Butch?"

"He's sending and Iris-message to camp," Luke replied as they entered the tent. She noticed Artemis sitting crossed-legged on the soft carpet again, Phoebe standing behind her. The scene was so much like the one in Maine, except...except for Zoë.

Wisty winced as a familiar pang of guilt surged through her heart. Thalia must have noticed, because she nudged her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Wisty said. "Just some unpleasant thoughts."

Thalia frowned but didn't argue. Artemis gestured for Wisty to stand beside Phoebe and waved a hand at the floor. "Take a seat, demigods."

Luke and Thalia complied slightly nervously. Especially Luke, he looked like he was about to be turned into an animal. Which he still might.

Once everyone was settled down, Artemis addressed the two quest leaders. "Tell us about your quest, Thalia Grace," she ordered. Thalia nodded and complied. Wisty didn't find anything interesting - just a few small monster attacks here and there. A thought struck her.

"Why didn't you guys just take the plane?" Wisty asked. Luke glanced at her uncomfortably, as if he was hiding something.

"We were told to travel by land," he said. "Said we'd pick up some unexpected help."

"Which would be the son of Hephaestus," Artemis said. "Although I do not know where he is right now. Tell me, son of Hermes, did you receive a prophecy? What did it tell you?"

Luke shifted uneasily. "We didn't get a prophecy," he said. Phoebe glared at him disbelievingly.

"Impossible," she snapped. "All demigod quests have a prophecy issued. You must be lying."

"Well, we're not!" Thalia snapped. "We didn't receive a damn prophecy, Lieutenant!"

Phoebe's eyes flashed dangerously. "Watch how you're talking to me, Thalia Grace," she warned.

The air around Thalia crackled with electricity as she stood up, her electric-blue eyes unnaturally bright. "Do. Not. Use. My. Last. Name," she gritted out between clenched teeth.

Phoebe scowled. "Or what? Are you going to fight me? Or let your boyfriend do it?"

"Phoebe!" Wisty snapped. "Calm down. I'm sure Luke's telling the truth."

The Lieutenant glared at her. It was the first time Wisty had seen her actually angry. "His father is the god of thieves!" she yelled into her face. "How can you trust him?"

"He's my friend!" Wisty replied back just as harshly. "We've been through _everything _together - I trust him enough to know he wouldn't lie to me!"

"Lieutenant Phoebe, Wisteria," Artemis warned, but the daughter of Ares was not finished yet.

"He's just like every other boy out there - liars, heartbreakers, deceivers," she growled. "Are you going to side with him, Jackson?"

"Phoebe," Artemis raised her voice, but there was no stopping her as she got into Wisty's face.

"Do your loyalties lie with them or with us, girl? Because you're supporting them so much right now, maybe you should go over there!" she snarled. Wisty was completely taken aback at her friend's behavior. She was stung by her rash words. It had struck a chord within her. If t came down to choosing, which side would she choose, the Hunt or Luke and Thalia?

She tried to rein it in, but Wisty could feel her control slipping as anger welled up inside her. Phoebe continued talking.

"Maybe you have a crush on rainbow boy!" she raised her voice. "Maybe you don't even like Artemis. Maybe you're just using her to get to a power position-"

_SNAP! _She didn't get to finish that sentence as Wisty's palm cracked across her face, sending her stumbling backward. Wisty's power flared as her anger exploded. Green light flickered around her, and the ground trembled dangerously. Katharos and Kardia flowed harshly as she glared murderously at her friend.

"How can you say that?" she breathed quietly. Phoebe seemed to finally realize what she'd done.

"Oh my gods, Wisty, I'm sorry-"

"How _dare _you say that?" Wisty's eyes stung with tears. "_You _were the one supporting us all along. What changed? Because I sided with my friends? Because I defended a boy?"

"I-"

"You accused me of a power play!" Wisty screamed at her. "Do you understand how many times I was offered power by Kronos, by the Titans? The Ophiotaurus was right underneath my hands, the ultimate power to destroy the gods. But I didn't, I _saved _it."

"I-"

"I had Zeus's Master Bolt in my hands, along with Hades's Helm of Darkness. I was the hero camp looked up to - I had power, greater power than you could imagine in your millennia of life! All I wanted was a home," she continued, "And I thought I'd found one in the Hunt. My stepfather was abusive, I was kicked out of schools every year until I got thrust into this hellhole of a world. I don't need _you _of all people to question my loyalties!" Breathing deeply, she laughed bitterly. "What have the gods done for me, besides trying to kill me numerous times? My Father cares. Artemis cares. They are the _only _ones I should have loyalties to. Not you, not the other gods, not Olympus. But they are _family, _so I fight for them, saving their hides countless times, and here you are, accusing me of a _fucking power play_ over a boy."

Phoebe stayed silent as bushed tears threatened to spill over in Wisty's eyes. "Zoë knew," she whispered. "Zoë saw the difference in Luke. She gave him her blessing. Maybe that's the difference. Maybe that's why you weren't Lieutenant, because you can't see the big picture. You won't ever be better than Zoë, Phoebe, and you never will." With that, Wisty turned and stormed out of the tent, leaving behind two shocked demigods and a huntress, along with her goddess. She attracted many strange glances from the Hunters, but she didn't care. All she could think of was getting far away, far, far away from Phoebe, far away from the Hunt, everyone. All she wanted was to curl into a ball and sob, so she ran.

She wasn't sure how long she ran. All she knew was that she eventually collapsed in a heap on the side of a road. Finally, the tears came, because she could cry in solitude, and oh, did they come. Racking sobs shook her body as she wept, and she was elated, for she was alone, and didn't have to play the hero anymore. She could just be herself, a normal teenage girl after a terrible fight with a friend.

She lost track of time. All she knew was that she remained in that position for a very long time, not caring who saw her, because the mortals could go to hell for all she cared. The cold numbed her body, slowing her brain, which she was grateful for, because it dulled the hurt racing through her being. Eventually, she felt warmth next to her, the familiar scent of pine trees and a forest after a pouring shower. Slender arms wrapped gently around her, lifting her prone form up, and all Wisty could do was bury her head into the person's neck as she succumbed to the exhaustion of the day and comforting presence of her goddess.

* * *

_Are you going to side with him, Jackson?_

_He's just like every other boy out there - liars, heartbreakers, deceivers._

_Maybe you don't even like Artemis! You're just using her to get a power position._

Phoebe's voice echoed around in Wisty's mind as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to tune out the voices.

_No, _she assured herself, _I fight for my family and friends. I do not crave power. They will not betray me. I will not betray them._

A chilling laugh sounded from the darkness. Suddenly, Wisty found herself in the Underworld, next to the entrance to Tartarus again. That laugh she could recognize from anywhere, at any time. Kronos.

"_Such faith in your friends," _his voice mocked, echoing around the dreamscape. Wisty tried to move backward, but her legs wouldn't budge. _"Unfortunately, you can't trust them. They'll __**always**__ let you down." _His laughter echoed around the cavern again as the pit sucked Wisty in. She tried to grab hold of something, to back away, but her body wouldn't budge. She could only scream as she tumbled into Hell itself…

Wisty woke with a shout, her body drenched in sweat and her hair messy and sticky. She looked wildly around wherever she was. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed she was in her tent.

She cast her mind back, trying to remember what had happened last night...and it all came back to her. Phoebe's stinging remarks, her retorts, her storming away and finally falling asleep in Artemis's arms. She sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. After a night's sleep, what happened last night seemed childish and insignificant, although Phoebe's words still hurt, more than they should have, even though Wisty was sure it was just an unthinking moment in the heat of anger.

"Nightmares, dear?" a voice sounded next to her. Wisty tensed, then relaxed as she recognized Artemis's voice. "You were tossing and turning in your sleep."

"Yes, my lady," she admitted, relaxing into her embrace as Artemis climbed behind her and wrapped her arms around Wisty's stomach. "It was a tiring day."

"Indeed it was," Artemis said wryly. "Although the night was perhaps even more exhausting."

Wisty didn't answer.

Artemis gave her a kiss on the cheek as she magically made the sweat on Wisty's body and clothes disappear. "It is unlike my Lieutenant to have such an outburst," she said. "It has been centuries since she has been this angry over a boy."

Wisty turned her head and glanced backward, raising an eyebrow skeptically. With Phoebe's temper, she had a hard time believing that she rarely got angry.

"It is true," Artemis insisted. "Her words were harsh, harsher than I have heard from her in millennia, especially towards a friend like you. Although, perhaps you also overreacted slightly," she added with a dry smile.

"Maybe," Wisty mumbled. "What time is it?"

"A little past midnight, dear," Artemis replied, setting her head on Wisty's shoulder. "We begin our journey this afternoon."

"Why not this morning?" Wisty asked. She wanted to get to Annabeth as soon as possible.

Artemis chuckled as she played with Wisty's messy hair, straightening out knots and patches. _I have to have a shower today, _Wisty thought.

"The original plan was to go today," her goddess explained, "but after the situation last night, I adjourned the meeting and came after you, so currently we have no clue where we need to go."

Wisty blushed. On one hand, she felt guilty for being a part of the reason for the delay, but on the other hand, she was elated that her goddess had come after her, even at the cost of valuable time. "Thank you, my lady."

Artemis growled against Wisty's neck. "Must you call me by my title all the time, Wisteria?"

Wisty didn't answer, opting to sigh and relax her body against Artemis's taller frame, basking in her comforting warmth and pine-tree-and-forest scent. She'd noticed that the goddess had stayed in her eighteen-year-old form for the past few days, and she was grateful for it. It would look a little weird kissing a twelve-year-old.

As much as she wanted this moment to last, staying inside her goddess's warm embrace, Artemis finally released her and climbed off the bed. "I have to take my leave," she said.

"Why?" Wisty complained feebly as she collapsed back against the pillow. She felt empty and cold without Artemis's warmth.

Artemis glanced at her with a smile. "I needed to make sure you were fine," she said. "I believe you are now, and, as much as I love spending time with you, a goddess has her duties to do." She bent down and gave Wisty a kiss. "Goodnight, my bloom."

"Goodnight, my lady," Wisty said as she closed her eyes. Sleep overtook her in an instant, and this time, she didn't have nightmares anymore.

* * *

_Personally, I feel like the fandom has grown lax in terms of writing stories. There exists very few ongoing stories with a good level of writing. If you think you are a good writer, I really encourage you to pick up the keyboard again and churn out some (original! this is important) ideas. Wisteria originally began as a tentative exploration into the fandom (my first story!), so have a go and you might be surprised._

_Even if you don't think you're a good writer, take a chance. As long as you can come up with original ideas and think you can be committed, I'm all for it. I don't want the PJO fandom to die, and given how Magnus Chase and The Trials of Apollo haven't done much for it it's really up to all of us. Reread the series, reread Heroes of Olympus, reread Kane Chronicles, reconnect with all these incredible characters Riordan has given us, and have a go._

_That's all for today. _Sea Girl_'s next chapter is coming out very, very soon. Then I might prioritize a chapter of _it's nice to meet you (too) _before working on _ERtH_._

_As always, Ciao!_


	15. XV

_This is the penultimate chapter. I'll try to publish the last one sooner, but what I've been doing is updating this, plus another story. Since the other stories aren't finished, it takes some time. But I'll try._

_Thank you for the reviews. I don't say this too often, but it's so nice seeing everyone comment something, whether feedback or simply telling me to update. Some people find it annoying - I don't! I just see it as extra incentive to update, because people are eager to read._

_Look forward to the last chapter, it'll be a good one. Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 15 (Dec 27th)**

Wisty woke to the sound of chittering birds. Judging from the sunlight leaking through the thin tent walls, it was already daytime.

Not bothering to put on any clothes, she stumbled into the bathroom, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She surveyed herself in the mirror. She didn't see Wisteria Jackson. Instead, she saw a pale girl with red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks down her face, and her hair, for the love of Olympus, was a _terrible _mess. She sighed. When Artemis cleaned up her sweat with her godly powers, Wisty had hoped that it extended to smaller things, like her general appearance. Apparently not.

Stripping and stumbling into the automatic shower, she relaxed and let the warm water run down her skin, soothing her tired muscles and washing away any leftover traces of weariness from yesterday. Refreshed, she walked out of the shower and pulled on a fresh set of the Hunters' uniform, along with her combat boots. Glancing in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, she nodded to herself and stepped out of the tent into the morning sunlight.

During breakfast, Wisty avoided Phoebe as much as possible. The atmosphere in the Hunt was tense - they must have all heard, or at least figured out what had happened last night in Artemis's tent. She still wasn't sure about whether she should forgive her that easily - and frankly couldn't be bothered with a potential confrontation, so she sat with Thalia, Luke, and Butch the rainbow dude, who was delighted with the miniature rainbows in the tents.

"Glad to see my mom's represented in the tents," he grinned while stuffing his face with chicken. "At camp, she doesn't have a cabin. All the minor gods don't have cabins. It's BS, if you ask me."

Now that Wisty thought about it, he was right. None of the minor gods and goddesses had cabins at Camp Half-Blood. They weren't deemed important enough, which Wisty found totally unfair. They were simply crammed into the Hermes cabin along with the undetermined. One of these days, the cabin was going to explode from too many people.

"So, you guys didn't get a prophecy?" Wisty asked Luke, who eyes her nervously. Wisty frowned. He'd been like this ever since they'd met up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Luke said with a perfect poker face. So perfect, that Wisty knew he was lying. She'd seen that face too many times.

"Could've fooled me," she snorted. "C'mon, tell me."

"We didn't get a prophecy," Thalia interrupted. "More like a vision telling us where to go. We have to find a mountain called San Bruno."

"The San Bruno Mountain?" Artemis walked past them. Evidently, the goddess had heard their conversation. "That is across the Golden Gate Bridge, around twenty-five miles from our current position. It is around a thirty-minute drive."

Thalia coughed. "Sorry, Lady Artemis, but did you just say we can drive twenty-five miles in half an hour? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but on our quest to save you, it took nearly forty minutes to move a few kilometers."

"That's because you're slow," a hunter called out from nearby. Thalia scowled in the direction where the voice had come from. It sounded like Naomi.

Artemis regarded her with amusement. "If you've been in one of our drives, you would understand, sister. I am sure Wisty could tell you."

Wisty smirked when the demigods turned to her. "Yeah, we don't care about speed limits that much. In fact, we don't particularly care about staying on the roads, but that's when we're going cross country."

"_You _can do that," Butch said. "What about _us?"_

The corner of Artemis's lips twitched. "Let us hope one of you can drive, half-bloods."

* * *

It turned out, Luke could drive. In fact, saying he could _drive _was an understatement. It would be like saying that the sun was hot.

Currently, they were approaching the Golden Gate Bridge, and Luke had thoroughly enjoyed the drive. When Wisty had called over the intercom to make sure they were alright, all she could hear was his delighted whoops and Thalia's sighs, plus the sound of a forehead colliding with a palm. She had turned off the noise immediately. They were fine. Definitely fine.

Wisty, as had became a routine for the past day or two, opted to sit in Artemis's moon chariot/Jeep. The Hunters plus three demigods thundered down the highway at nearly a hundred miles per hour. It was safe to say that they were just _slightly_ over the speed limit.

They must've made a strange sight, a group of silver Jeeps driven by underaged teenagers at well over the speed limit. A few times, the police called them over, but Artemis had merely rolled her eyes, waved her hands, causing the police to forget about everything that had happened, and driven on without even slowing down.

Thundering over the Golden Gate Bridge, a barricade of empousai tried to block them, but the Jeeps simply smashed them into dust and kept going. Wisty raised an eyebrow at Artemis.

"That seems a bit violent," she remarked. Artemis simply rolled her eyes at her.

"You have been killing monsters for the past two years, dear," she said. "Violence is a daily occurrence for you."

After another few minutes, they arrived at the foot of the San Bruno Mountain. Wisty glanced up, but she couldn't see the top. The mountain was shrouded in mist, and Wisty got the feeling it wasn't just the weather kind.

Artemis ordered the Hunters to stop here. "Unfortunately, due to my brother's Oracle refusing to give a prophecy," she said, glancing at Luke, "We have no concrete idea of what we are facing, so we must be ready for anything. My grandfather is undoubtedly part of the force we must overcome today in order to save Annabeth Chase."

A few hushed murmurs came from the group, but Artemis held up a hand, and they quieted. "Pair up, and head up the mountain. Demigods, you may travel in your group of three. Keep an eye out for any possible ambushes."

Phoebe tried to approach Wisty, but she turned away, preferring to face Artemis instead. Phoebe looked dejected as she trudged to the head of the group with Jasmine. Wisty and Artemis brought up the end of the group.

Throughout the hike, Wisty noticed Artemis's solemn expression showing hints of worry. "Are you worried about something, my lady?"

Artemis blinked, as if just registering that she was being addressed, before giving a small, forced smile to Wisty. "No, my dear," she said. "It is just pre-battle anxiety, that's all."

Wisty didn't press, because her goddess didn't seem to be in the mood for a conversation, so they continued their climb in silence. They were surrounded by green, thick undergrowth - perfect locations for a sneak attack. Occasionally, Wisty heard the howl of a hellhound somewhere around them. Once or twice, she caught the faint footsteps of someone...or something, but not once did any monsters visibly approach them.

Her hand drifted to her pendant as she glanced down at her vambraces. Katharos and Kardia didn't seem to be alarmed. During the time she'd been with the ancient weapons, Wisty had started trusting them to warn her of any impending danger. If they weren't alarmed, Wisty supposed that she didn't have any reason to be worried either, but she couldn't help but glance around nervously every time a sound was heard.

Despite the sense of foreboding she had, they were nearly at the top in no time. A wall of mist separated them from the peak of the mountain. Artemis called for a break. Wisty sat down wearily as she accepted a canteen of water from Phoebe without a word. As the Lieutenant moved away, she heard a quiet "I'm sorry".

She approached Thalia and Luke, who were conversing in hushed tones. Wisty caught a few words: "...Wisty...sacrifice…"

She frowned. What about her and what about sacrifice? She sat down next to them, hoping to hear more, but they immediately shut up when they noticed her. "Hey guys," she said. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Luke said, avoiding her gaze. "Everything's fine."

Wisty rolled her eyes as she swigged from her canteen. "Come on, Castellan, whatever you're hiding from me-"

Suddenly, her vambraces exploded with harsh, white light. A howl sounded through the woods as Wisty jumped up in alarm, her sword already in her hands. The rest of the Hunt wasn't as fast. They barely had their bows and knives out before the bushes around them suddenly exploded in movement. Hellhounds melted out of shadows. Empousai with donkey legs and flaming hair appeared out of the mist. _Dracaenae _carrying swords and spears slithered out of the undergrowth as the monster army converged onto the Hunters and three demigods.

Wisty slashed the head off one _dracaena _and bashed the hilt into a hellhound's snout. All around her, dozens of monsters outnumbered the Hunters exponentially. Soon, the originally tightly knit group was separated into isolated individuals or pairs as they desperately fended off the monsters.

The _twangs _of bows firing filled the air. Silver knives flashed. Howls of agony were heard amidst more human cries of pain. Monster dust littered the mountain floor, but there were too many. Already, Wisty could see several Hunters lying, either dead or severely wounded, on the ground. If this continued, it would turn into a massacre.

The decision was made in an instant. Her vambrace glowed brightly as Kardia was summoned. Tapping into its power, Wisty spun around in a circle. A halo of white flames incinerated around a dozen hellhounds which were converging on her, reducing them to black dust in seconds.

Her sword reappeared as her pendant and Kardia disappeared as Wisty summoned Katharos. Pulling the string back, a white-shafted arrow appeared. Letting loose, the arrow penetrated clean through a line of empousai, ignoring the Hunters completely. In one, smooth move, Wisty jumped high into the air, higher than any normal demigod could, and slashed downwards with her hand, Kardia responding to her will and appearing in a matter of milliseconds. A whip of light slew a dozen _dracaenae._

She glanced around the battle. Her small performance had allowed the Hunters a brief reprieve. She noticed many of them dragging immobilized sisters off the battlefield. Luke, Thalia, and Butch gawked at her disbelievingly.

"What the actual Hades was that?" Thalia demanded. "That was awesome!"

Wisty grinned. "Two handy weapons I picked up along the way - WATCH OUT!"

The demigods whirled around, but they were a fraction of a second too late as a gigantic hellhound, much bigger than the rest, its eyes glowing grey, slammed into the half-bloods. Luke and Butch managed to scramble free, but Thalia, who was standing in the middle of the trio, was sent tumbling down the mountain. She stopped next to a pile of rocks, her head lolling feebly against the ground. Using her enhanced sight with using Katharos, Wisty could see three deep gashes on her chest where the hellhound had clawed her.

"THALIA!" Luke screamed and sprinted down towards her. In an instant, the hellhound pounced. Butch stabbed the beast in the heart, but not before it slashed its claws across his exposed back. The son of Hermes crumpled onto the ground in a heap, massive amounts of blood pooling around him in an instant.

Wisty's mind blanked, then filled with rage. Two of her friends had just been injured, potentially dead, in a matter of seconds. She heard Koios's chilling laugh reverberate around the battlefield.

"_A good effort, sea spawn," _his dissembled voice echoed in front of her. _"But I am always one step ahead."_

"SHUT UP!" Wisty screamed, slashing her sword wildly. His laughter sounded again from behind her.

"_Even now, as two of your friends lie mortally wounded on the battlefield, the daughter of Athena is being abused and tortured by my bodyguards," _he mocked. _"Is this all Hemera's champion can do?"_

Molten, hot rage bubbled in the pit of her stomach. A ring of light washed out from her body, disintegrating another dozen monsters closest to her.

"Wisteria!" Artemis's voice sounded far away as Wisty's mind was filled with fury and power. A column of white fire engulfed the rest of the hellhounds.

"_Good, good," _Koios laughed delightedly. _"Show me the true power of the Pure Hearted One! Unleash your wrath, Champion of the Day!"_

Uncontrollable currents of power streamed through Wisty's veins, turning her blood into fire and her insides into lava as Wisty screamed in pain. Her vision was tinted with red as spears of white light shot out of her, impaling anything in its path. She noticed a flickering, silver dome of energy protecting the Hunters as she completely unleashed the power of the day.

"_Good, good," _Koios cackled. _"Very good, Wisteria Jack - OW!" _His voice suddenly changed into a yell of pain as Wisty, in her haze of fury and power, located his essence surrounding the air. She concentrated on it and willed it to burn. She willed the air to heat up, attempting to roast the Titan alive. Unfortunately, he escaped in an instant.

"_Your power is greater than I imagined," _he admitted, _"But is it enough to revive the dead? Three of your sisters lie, dead, in the company of these still alive. Three of them, dead, because you were not strong enough to protect them." _Wisty heard one last cackle of glee as his presence retreated from the battlefield.

Wisty collapsed to her knees in pain. Wincing in agony, she tried to force Katharos and Kardia back into their dormant forms, but she was unable to concentrate as the two ancient weapons in her hands continued to rage uncontrollably in the surrounding area. With the monsters all destroyed, they had turned their attention on the surrounding landscape. Waves of energy burst through the air as the undergrowth burnt with the fire of Day. Artemis's shield flickered weakly against the constant assault from the power of Hemera.

"Wisty!" Phoebe shouted. "Turn it off or we'll all die!"

Blackness ringed her vision. The pain had risen to a point where she literally felt like she was being burnt alive. It was like when she first touched the weapons, but a thousand times more painful.

"Wisty!" Aerwyna's young, high voice pierced through the fog of agony. "I'm scared! Stop!"

With an incredible amount of effort, Wisty stemmed the flow of power somewhat. Her mind felt like exploding, but Katharos and Kardia no longer glowed like the sun. The temperature cooled slightly.

But it wasn't enough. Artemis's silver shield was shimmering dangerously. Any second now, it would collapse, and the Hunters would be scorched alive.

Suddenly, Wisty caught the scent of pine trees and forests. A familiar warmth caught her just as she was about to fall to the ground. "It's fine, dear," a familiar voice said. "I am here. I am with you. Everything will be alright."

"Artemis?" Wisty managed weakly. "Go. Teleport the Hunters away. I can't control this."

"You can," she urged. "They are your weapons. You are their champion. Their power is for you to control and use."

"No," Wisty shook her head. "I'm too weak. My mind's not strong enough. Leave, before it's too late."

"Wisty, look at me," Artemis commanded. With some effort, Wisty managed to lift her head and look at her goddess's silver eyes. "You are strong. Stronger than me, stronger than Zoë, stronger than everyone. That is why Hemera's weapons picked you."

The harsh white glow of the weapons dimmed. Wisty's mind cleared slightly.

"Your sisters and friends are depending on you," Artemis continued, cradling her head. "Prove to them. Prove to _me _that you are strong. You control the weapons, they do not control you."

The temperature cooled another few degrees. The wildfire Wisty had started began to sniff out.

"Well done," Artemis praised. "Keep it up. Believe in yourself."

Wisty winced as she resisted another flow of power. The weapons returned to their normal glow. The wildfire was snuffed out completely, and the bursts of white energy were becoming more and more infrequent.

"Just one more push," Artemis promised. Wisty's head beaded in cold sweat as she tried to block off the currents of power with the sheer force of her will.

The pain was overwhelming. Wisty's eyelids fluttered as she threatened to fall into unconsciousness. Artemis's image became blurry and unfocused.

Suddenly, she felt pressure on her lips, and caught the familiar taste of wild berries. She closed her eyes, willingly this time, and allowed herself to lean into the kiss.

Katharos and Kardia stopped glowing completely. The bursts of energy stopped. The flows of power shut off, and the temperature returned to normal. Wisty's mind unclouded, and the pain in her body eased. Her fingers unclenched, and the ancient weapons clattered onto the ground.

Artemis pulled back. Wisty opened her eyes once again to see her beautiful, silver orbs, filled to the brim with relief. "Thank the gods," she murmured. "You are alright."

Wisty smiled sleepily at her. "Your eyes are beautiful," she told her goddess.

Then she blacked out.

* * *

_I make Wisty black out too much, even in this story. I count at least three, but I didn't really count, so who knows?_

_'it's nice to meet you (too)' chapter two is out, this time mainly from Percy's perspective, so go have a look! It's a little lighter in tone than my other stories, but I hope the substance is still there._

_It's been a busy few months, and it will be another busy few months as the last term of school starts here in Australia. But I'm hoping to get some work done, both in terms of writing and schoolwork. I have my SATs on Saturday - if I can nail it here, I don't have to redo it. _

_The gist: I appreciate everyone sticking around, even though my update schedule is less than ideal._

_That's it from me. Ciao!_


	16. XVI

_Well, my mistake. I counted wrong. THIS is the penultimate chapter. The next one will conclude the story._

_An update in the same month? This is rare. Although I've been very happy recently. For those of you who took the SAT in October, I was filling in bubbles alongside you all. Two mistakes in total, both in reading...and a score of 1590. First try, super pumped, don't have to do it again for the rest of my life._

_In other news, I made the first team for our school's tennis program, so there's that._

_But I digress. Here is the chapter. As usual, happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

In her dream, Wisty saw Tychi Johnson, the son of Hephaestus, rummaging around in a garage. As she watched, the demigod pulled out a sword, glowing with a faint, emerald light. He sheathed it in its scabbard and strapped it to his tool belt.

"One final battle." He knelt, as if in prayer. "May the gods guide me."

Her dream shifted. This time, she was back at Camp Half-Blood in front of the Athena cabin. A column of flames erupted in front of her. When the fire died, a woman wearing a grey T-shirt and jeans stood in front of her. Wisty noticed her grey eyes sparkling with intelligence and power.

"Lady Athena," she said, bowing. Athena nodded in acknowledgment.

"Wisteria Jackson," she greeted. "You are on a quest to save my daughter."

"Um, yes, Lady Athena," Wisty said nervously. She knew Athena was her dad's eternal rival, so she was pretty sure the goddess wouldn't like her very much.

"Let me give you some advice," Athena said. "As much as I wish to go save my daughter myself, the Ancient Laws forbid me from interfering. Artemis is the only one who has any form of freedom while dealing with demigods and monsters."

Wisty waited silently, not sure of what to say.

"You face the Titan Koios," the goddess continued. "The Titan of the Mind. As you have recently experienced, he is a master of manipulation...perhaps even more so than me." She made a sour expression at admitting that someone was better than her at something. "You lost control very easily this time. Do not make the same mistake again."

"I won't," Wisty promised.

"Do not make empty promises to me," Athena warned. "I am simply giving you pointers. If there is anyone you must make a promise to, it is your sisters, friends, and most importantly, my sister."

Wisty felt her face heat up at the underlying meaning in her words. "Yes, Lady Athena."

"You two have grown rather close," Athena mused. "It is the first time in many millennia that Artemis has felt romantically attracted to anybody, male or female."

_That's not true, _Wisty thought. _She loved Zoë._

"Perhaps she will help you control Hemera's weapons," Athena continued. "She has already helped you do so once. She will be a key for you to defeat Koios."

"For _me?_" Wisty demanded. "_I'm_ fighting a Titan? Last time I fought Atlas, he swatted me aside like a fly."

"You have gained immeasurable power since that encounter," Athena pointed out. "Artemis will not be able to defeat him alone. He is her grandfather, the Titan of the North. As capable as my sister is, she will not be able to defeat a Titan as strong as him. She barely managed against Atlas. The Hunters will be no help...in fact, it would be better if you did not bring them to the final battle. _You _are the key to defeating him."

"Great," Wisty muttered. "Really feeling the love."

"Believe me or not, love will be crucial when fighting Koios," Athena said. "Aphrodite's influence is a powerful force, the most powerful emotion to exist. Love makes people become unpredictable. They stretch limits and surpass them."

"First of all, who said anything about love?" Wisty demanded. "I like Artemis very much, but...and for a virgin goddess, you know a lot about love."

Athena's grey eyes gleamed. "As the wisdom goddess, I make it my business to know about many things. As for your relationship with Artemis, you must sort through your denial yourself_._"

"_Denial?_" Wisty was about to snap at the goddess for speaking in riddles. "What denial?"

Athena waved it off. "Just know that you cannot defeat Koios without her, nor can she without you. Now, off you go. You must get ready. Save my daughter."

Wisty's eyes snapped open. She was back inside her tent once again, lying on the comfortable bed. She heard the sound of running water in the bathroom.

"I really need to stop passing out so much," she muttered, then winced at the raspy sound her throat produced. The running water stopped, and Artemis stepped out with a glass of water.

"Awake, my dear?" she gave the glass of water to Wisty, who grasped it appreciatively. Her throat felt about as dry as sandpaper as she gulped down the water.

"What happened?" she asked. "I mean...after I passed out."

Artemis sat on the bed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We managed to recover your injured friends. Thalia had a few deep gashes from the hellhound's claws, but she has already recovered and is ready to go. The son of Hermes had lost a large amount of blood by the time it was safe to approach him, but he is recuperating as we speak. Unfortunately, the son of Iris has suffered a rather severe concussion, so I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to be of much help. Currently, we are camped at the halfway point of the mountain. We should all be ready in an hour or so."

Wisty sighed in relief. At least her friends were fine. "What about the Hunt?"

Artemis's face darkened with sadness. "We lost Jasmine, Melina and Isabelle."

"Isabelle?" Wisty couldn't believe it. Young, adorable, little Isabelle was gone? And Jasmine, Melina...she blinked tears out of her eyes. Bella didn't even have a chance to take the full Hunter's pledge…

"Do not blame yourself, my dear," Artemis told her, although she sounded like she was doing exactly that. "Without you and your weapons, many more lives would have been lost. Considering the amount of monsters and the element of surprise in the attack, the casualties were minimal."

"Lots of good they did me," Wisty muttered, glaring at her glowing vambraces. Apparently, Katharos and Kardia had seen fit to return into their dormant state. "Almost killed everyone."

"They were responding to your emotions," Artemis replied. "They sensed your rage and reacted accordingly. You must not let it happen again."

Wisty nodded. "Athena visited me in my dream."

Artemis's eyes lit up. "My sister's advice has always been sound. What did she say?"

"She advised us to not bring the Hunt to fight Koios," Wisty relayed the message to Artemis. She left out the part about love and Artemis being key to her fight. "Just us, and maybe the demigods."

Artemis nodded. "The Hunt is tired and weary after the battle. Some rest will do them good. Come, we must go. Sundown is but half an hour away."

Wisty accepted her goddess's hand as she finished tying the shoelaces on her combat boots. The goddess raised a skeptical eyebrow at the unusual choice of footwear.

"I did not think you were the type to wear steel-tipped boots, Wisteria," she said.

"I've been wearing them for the past few days," Wisty said.

Artemis smiled. "Perhaps I have begun to pay more attention to you."

Wisty blushed. "They can be useful," she pointed out. "Both in actual combat and just kicking boys."

Artemis laughed. "I suppose you are right. Perhaps I should get one, the next time my brother visits."

"Maybe," Wisty grinned.

* * *

"We _have _to go," Luke insisted. "We were given the quest. Annabeth is our family too."

Artemis regarded the son of Hermes impassively. "While I admire your dedication to your friend, half-blood, are you sure you will not be a hindrance? We are facing the Titan Koios. He is immeasurably powerful - a foe which even I cannot be sure that I will defeat."

"You're taking Wisty," Thalia pointed out stubbornly. "She's a demigod."

"She is a Hunter," Artemis's silver eyes flashed. "And Athena has insisted that she accompany me to the final battle. Believe me, if not for my sister's judgment, I would not risk her. She has immeasurable power from her new weapons, and can potentially rival a god. What about you, sister?"

Thalia remained silent, so Wisty thought she'd intervene. "My lady, I'm sure Thalia and Luke can be of some help. Luke's the best swordsman at camp, and Thalia is great with her spear." Luke shot her a grateful look.

Artemis sighed in resignation. "If you insist, my dear, although I...do not like it"

* * *

As they headed up the mountain, Wisty tried to talk with her friends and lighten the mood, but Thalia and Luke were always huddled together, allowing Wisty no space at all. With a pang in her heart, she realized that she was no longer fully a part of their closely-knit group.

So instead, she stayed with Artemis the whole time. The goddess stayed mostly silent, but she did intertwine her fingers with Wisty's reassuringly.

Finally, they reached the wall of mist again. Behind them, the sun was almost touching the horizon. They didn't have a lot of time left.

"Stand ready," Artemis told them quietly. Wisty tugged on her pendant, and her sword came into existence with a reassuring _shink_. Luke uncapped Riptide. Thalia gripped her spear tightly.

"On three," Artemis mouthed quietly. "Three, two, one...go!"

They charged forward as one through the wall of mist. Wisty burst out ahead, swishing her sword in front of her wildly, but was greeted with empty space. She stared at the mountaintop uncomprehendingly.

"Are you sure this is the right place? Luke whispered. Wisty scanned the area. It was completely identical to the small cave in her dream - except there was no Titan, and Annabeth wasn't here.

"Yeah," Wisty said, although her voice wobbled with uncertainty. "I'm sure."

"Well, where's Annabeth-" Thalia began, but was cut off by a loud _clang _nearby. Whirling around, she saw Artemis with her two knives crossed, blocking a huge sword wielded by a giant man with dark grey eyes which glinted with intelligence and maliciousness.

"Well, well, well, granddaughter," Koios said, his voice dripping with false affection. "It seems time has not dulled your senses."

With a graceful twist, he disengaged from the stalemate and strolled casually past the group so that he blocked the entrance to the cavern. "So," Koios said, readjusting his tie casually. "You made it, after all: I would've thought you'd still be sleeping after that little stunt you pulled in the morning."

_Don't let him get to you, _Wisty reminded herself, forcing down the familiar surge of anger and guilt. _Stay in control._

"I'm stronger than you think, Titan," she replied. "How'd the burn feel? Your immortal essence still in one piece?"

Koios grinned. "A good try, Wisteria Jackson," he admitted. "But as that pesky war god said, you know nothing about taunts."

"Give us Annabeth," Luke demanded, holding his sword out menacingly. The Titan merely laughed it off.

"Store your little sword away, boy," he said condescendingly. "You cannot hope to defeat a Titan."

"You are as proud as you are foolish if you believe you can take on four of us at once, Grandfather," Artemis said, her voice as cold as ice. "Perhaps your time in Tartarus has muddled your mind?"

Koios looked horrified as he shook his head. "Four of you at once?" he exclaimed. "No, no. I am not Atlas, that big-headed fool will fight the whole of Olympus by himself if he wanted to. You see, my dear granddaughter, this is _my _territory. As such, I have allies here." He spread his arms, and a Cyclops with a club and a _dracaena _with a spear and shield shimmered into existence, their eyes glowing grey with power and intelligence.

"Careful," Wisty warned her friends. "They're blessed monsters."

Koios looked pleased. "Indeed they are. They're blessed by me. My blessing! Increases the mental capabilities of a creature by a hundredfold, making them nearly impossible to beat in battle. Are you ready, demigods?"

Wisty gripped her sword tightly. She'd fought a blessed hellhound, and that hadn't been a pleasant experience. "Bring it on, Athena wannabe," she challenged. It had the intended effect as she saw Koios's dark grey eyes flash irritably.

"Monsters," he growled. "Attack the demigods. I have a naughty girl to deal with."

As soon as his words fell, all hell broke loose.

Wisty charged the Cyclops, while Luke and Thalia met the _dracaena. _In a shower of sparks, Wisty met the incoming swing of the club with her blade. The strength behind the blow nearly knocked her sword clean out of her hands as she was forced to retreat. Gritting her teeth, her sword morphed into a staff as she twirled it around just in time to block another bash from the Cyclops. With the added leverage and from wielding the staff with two hands, Wisty managed to retain her footing. Her weapon locked with the Cyclops's in a stalemate as they pushed against each other, neither willing to back down.

It was at times like this when Wisty really appreciated the ADHD that came with being a demigod. She noticed every little detail in battle simultaneously while also managing to keep a tab on the other two fights. Luke and Thalia, using their strength in numbers, had managed to push the _dracaena _back into the cavern, but the empowered monster was still relatively unscathed. With a yell, a bolt of electricity shot from the tip of Thalia's spear, but the _dracaena_ held out her shield. The bolt of electricity sizzled out around the circular surface weakly.

Her attention shifted to Artemis..._wow. _That was all Wisty could say as she watched her goddess battle the Titan of Intellect. The two immortals were a blue as they fought, knives against sword. Artemis's form continuously shifted, just as it had on Mount Tamalpais - one moment, she was human, slashing her knife towards Koios's neck. A blink, and she was a leopard, snarling and biting. Another blink, and she was a wolf, silvery-yellow eyes glinting dangerously as she slashed her claws at the Titan's chest.

But Koios wasn't one of the Titans of the Four Corners for nothing. Whatever Artemis threw at him, he held on. For what he lacked in speed, he made up with strength and steadiness. His feet remained firmly planted on the ground as he blocked and partied Artemis's attacks, occasionally attempting to snake in some stabs of his own. The pair of immortals was held in a stalemate - one ever-changing attacker against an unchanging defender.

With a grunt, Wisty glowed brightly as she pushed the Cyclops back with a sudden surge of strength. She could feel the currents of power steadily supplying her strength, keeping her head clear, her muscles relaxed and her breathing steady. With the boost of power, she managed to start pushing the Cyclops back as her strikes became heavier and quicker. Soon enough, even with the blessing of Koios, the Cyclops was starting to tire against Wisty's relentless attacks.

With a final trick up her sleeve, Wisty swept the Cyclops's feet out from underneath him. As he landed on his butt, Wisty stepped in. A small blade from her can brace shot out, impaling the monster in the chest. With one last scream of agony, the Cyclops dissolved into ashes.

She glanced over at Luke and Thalia just in time to see the _dracaena _vanish in a burst of dust, Riptide impaled in its stomach. Wisty grinned at her friend's. This battle was going well.

Any thoughts along these lines were instantly dispelled from her mind when she heard a cry of pain. Whirling around, she saw Koios gripping Artemis's throat in a chokehold. Golden ichor leaked from an already closing wound on her goddess's side, but the damage was done. With the moment of distraction from the pain, Koios had subdued her.

"Artemis!" Wisty shouted, attempting to run forwards, but her friends held her back. Artemis's silver eyes stared at her with some difficulty.

"D-do not come, Wisteria," she managed. "That is an order."

Wisty growled. A familiar surge of anger ran through her as she glowed harshly. Koios cackled with delight.

"Yes, you heard her, girl," he mocked. "_D-d-d-do not come, Wisteria. That is an order."_

"I'll kill you for this," Wisty snarled at him. Without summoning it, Kardia appeared in her hands. Koios grinned at her, apparently unconcerned.

"Ah, yes, that knife of yours." He wrinkled his nose distastefully. "Perhaps, if it was just you and me, it would cause some damage. Unfortunately for you, you don't know how to control it. Your friends are also here, plus a certain wisdom spawn in my possession…"

With his free hand, he snapped his fingers. At the end of the cave, Annabeth appeared, still chained to the large boulder. She was battered and bruised. Dried blood covered her body. Her clothes were in tatters, and her head hung limply, as if barely attached to her neck. She looked thin and fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her away. Nothing like the confident and capable daughter of Athena Wisty knew.

Luke exhaled slowly. "Annabeth," he whispered.

Wisty stared at the broken form of her friend. "What did you do to her?" She demanded. "_What did you do to her, _you sick bastard?"

"Oh, nothing much, just a few lashes from a poisoned whip." Koios rolled his eyes disdainfully. "Honestly, I expected better from a demigod. Just shows to you how strong your kind really is, eh?"

Wisty trembled with rage. A burst of energy shot towards Koios, who barely jumped out of the way in time.

"Now, now," he drawled, wagging a finger condescendingly. "Wouldn't want to hurt your friends now, would you? Especially your precious goddess. Imagine what I could do to her…" he mused, squeezing Artemis in his grip harder. The goddess's eyelids were fluttering now, clearly tiring with the effort to stay conscious despite the pressure on her airway. "Maybe give her to my fellow Titan buddies for their enjoyment. Maybe even the monsters."

Wisty's stomach churned sickeningly. "You're disgusting," she spat. "Disgusting, sick, vile man."

"Nah, I'll just keep her for myself," Koios decided, as if he hadn't heard her. "Anyways, back on topic! You want your Annabeth, Luke Castellan? Then uphold your end of the deal first."

Wisty froze. The glow around her died in an instant. "Deal?" she glanced back at Luke warily. "What deal?"

Luke stared right past her at the Titan. "I'll have you know, Titan," he growled. "I'm not doing this willingly."

"Yeah, yeah," Koios waved a dismissive hand. "It's either her or owl spawn. Make your choice."

"Luke, what-" her sentence turned into a yelp when Luke and Thalia both grabbed her arms. Thalia tied them behind her back while Luke held Riptide to her throat. Kardia clattered to the ground and vanished in a flashback into her vambraces as Wisty stared at her friends uncomprehendingly.

"I'm sorry, Wisty," Thalia muttered. "But this is for Annabeth."

Wisty struggled in her grip, but Thalia held fast. She twisted her head to stare at Luke. "Luke, why? Why are you doing this?"

Luke ignored her as he shoved her towards the Titan. "We've done our part of the deal," he announced. "Now let Annabeth go."

Koios laughed maniacally as he released Artemis from his grip. Her goddess crumpled onto the ground, unconscious. A dark, grey glow shrouded her body, covering up her normally silver aura. "Foolish demigods," he chuckled. "You truly believed I would let your friend go?"

Wisty's head spun with a myriad of emotions: anger, sadness, confusion, pain. Luke glared at the Titan.

"You swore on the Styx!" He yelled. "You swore on the Styx that if we gave you Wisty, you'd give us Annabeth."

Koios gestured towards Annabeth, chained securely with celestial bronze on the boulder. "Take her," he said. "I'm not stopping you. She's all yours."

Luke snarled and charged at the Titan, but he simply waved his hands, and a burst of energy threw him back, right into Thalia. While the daughter of Zeus managed to cushion his fall, her landing was much harder, and Wisty heard the air get squished out of her lungs in an _oof._

Koios laughed maniacally as he hefted his sword. "Foolish mortal!" he roared. "Weren't you told by that old horse to never challenge an immortal? Now I may retaliate freely, which means…" he grinned. "You are as good as dead."

He stepped forward menacingly, leaving his back to Wisty. Unfortunately, her hands were bound, so she did the next best thing. She staggered towards Artemis, whose eyelids were beginning to flutter. Her silver aura flickered as it attempted to overpower the grey glow of Koios's power.

"My lady?" Wisty whispered. "Are you alright?"

Artemis didn't respond. Her goddess still seemed to be stuck in a state of deliriousness, probably from the loss of air and whatever spell Koios put on her. Wisty supposed that even immortals have to breathe.

Behind her, Koios's booming laughter echoed around the cavern, accompanied by a cry of pain from Thalia. Wisty desperately shook Artemis. "Artemis!" she pleaded. "We need you. My...the demigods need you!"

Her goddess's eyelids fluttered again, but they remained shut. For a split second, the silver light overpowered the grey one, but it immediately regained control.

Koios cackled as Luke slammed into a wall from a sweep of his hand. "Son of Hermes," he mocked. "Did you think, that perhaps, just because you outsmarted Atlas, that you can defeat _me_?"

"Please, wake up," Wisty begged. "I can't fight Koios without you. I need you!"

Suddenly, Wisty felt her bonds disappear. She spun around to stare into a pair of familiar, brown eyes, holding up a knife along with a pile of loose ropes.

"Phoebe?" she almost laughed out loud in relief. "What are you - never mind that, thank the gods you're here!"

Phoebe didn't meet her eyes. She glanced back. "I had help," she muttered. Wisty blinked as a burly man in his mid-forties stepped out, holding a familiar, bronze sword glowing with an emerald light.

"Tychi Johnson?" she asked. The man nodded in confirmation. He glanced towards the battling demigods.

"Seems like the young 'uns need some help," he remarked. "Take care of your lady. We'll go help them."

Wisty could only nod dumbly as she returned her attention to Artemis, the Lieutenant and taxi driver sprinting past her. Faintly, she heard Koios bellow "WHAT IS THIS?" indignantly as two unexpected intrusions interrupted his fun.

She desperately scanned her brain for any healing knowledge she had. Ambrosia and nectar...she didn't have any at the moment, and it probably wouldn't work on a goddess anyways. CPR…? No, the goddess was breathing, she just hadn't woken up yet. That was the problem. Wisty needed her to wake up, and fast, before the demigods got overwhelmed. She needed a way to help Artemis overpower this spell.

"_Use our power," _a voice murmured in her head. "_We can help you."_

"Katharos, Kardia?" Wisty muttered. "Is that you?"

"_Yes," _the voice reaffirmed. _"Use our power. Let Hemera's light guide you."_

"Why should I trust you?" she thought harshly back. "Last time I did that, I almost killed everyone."

"_As long as you do not get out of control," _they promised. _"You will be fine."_

Wisty gritted her teeth. The way they were talking, as if it was all her fault, was starting to annoy her. However, she really had no choice. Desperately, she tapped into the power of the Day. She didn't exactly know what she was doing, but her instincts guided her along as a soft glow emanated from her palm. She watched, awestruck, as the glow shrouded Artemis's whole body. The grey aura faded until it was but a mere outline around Artemis's still form.

"_You need one, final push," _her weapons informed her. _"A push our power cannot help you with."_

"Why not?" Wisty demanded. Behind her, metal clashed against each other as the demigods traded blows with the Titan. Wisty heard a grunt of pain from Phoebe as she was presumably struck.

"_The Titan's spell is powerful. It affects the mind and puts the victim into an unnatural slumber," _they explained. _"Only an act of a strong emotion would awake said victim - in your goddess's case, only you can accomplish that."_

"An act of strong emotion?" Wisty stared at Artemis's face. She seemed to be in a struggle, a constant grimace could be seen as she resisted the effects of the mind spell. "How do I do that?"

"_It must be something significant to you both," _the weapons said. _"Perhaps a shared experience, or something you said to her which stuck in her mind."_

Wisty scanned her mind for any memories of what she had said to her goddess. She couldn't find any…

Then it struck her. She glanced down at her glowing vambraces. Pulses of white energy still pulsed from her hands. She could feel herself tiring as controlling the energy took its toll on her body. "Thank you," she told them sincerely. "I understand."

Her vambraces glowed in acknowledgment. Leaning down, Wisty pressed a gentle kiss onto her goddess's soft lips.

"Your eyes are beautiful," she whispered into her ears. 'Let me see them again.'

With a flare, her silver aura strengthened, and the grey glow abated completely. Artemis's silver eyes snapped open, glowing with renewed power. Wisty let out a half choke, half laugh as she stared into her goddess's eyes.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she said, blinking tears out of her eyes. Artemis had the nerve to laugh. The laugh soothed Wisty's frayed nerves, calming her emotions and relaxing her tense body.

"Consider me warned," she said. Wisty held out a hand. Her goddess accepted it, grabbing it and hauling herself up.

A cry of pain made Wisty's blood turn cold. Turning around, she saw Phoebe in a heap on the ground, blood slowly gushing from a gigantic gash on her side. "Phoebe!"

* * *

_Hmm...I actually went through this one with a little more care than I did for the other chapters, because it is possibly the most important in terms of Wisty's future character development...which won't happen, because this story is the old version. Yes, I am sorry, but not sorry enough to revise my decision. _

_I think regardless of how rushed a few elements may have been, when writing this two years ago around this time I did make a concerted, genuine effort to achieve emotional depth and clarity. Look forward to the last chapter..._

_I'll leave it here. Ciao!_


	17. XVII (fin)

_Well, this is the last one. So I have a few things I want to address - some housekeeping stuff._

_1\. This story will not have a sequel. This universe is discontinued. Move on to Sea Girl (the current one, which I'm still working on zealously) for more Wisty._

_2\. The plot has potential. Maybe it will be modified and reappear in the current Wistyverse someday..._

_3\. This chapter has been changed, more than the others, from the original version. The ending, in particular, is different. But it is good, and I'm proud._

_So enjoy, and happy reading (for the last time in this story)!_

* * *

**Chapter 17 _(fin.)_**

"Phoebe!" Wisty screamed. Ignoring Koios entirely, she rushed to her Lieutenant's side

Up close, Wisty could truly appreciate the extent of the injury. A long gash down her side ran from her ribcage down to her hip. Blood continuously gushed out from the gigantic opening that had been suddenly ripped in her body, and the girl was growing paler by the second. The normally strong silver aura around her flickered weakly, just as Zoë's had before she died.

"No, no, no," Wisty muttered. She attempted to summon power from Katharos and Kardia, but the weapons refused to cooperate. "HELP ME!" she demanded. "Why aren't you two helping?"

"_We are sorry, Wisteria, but this wound is beyond even the Day's power to heal," _the weapons' voice sounded in her head. _"It is best to not waste power on your friend anymore."_

"No!" Wisty refused to accept it. Forcibly opening a channel of power, a soft, white glow emitted from her palm. For a second, the silver aura around Phoebe stabilized. Her breathing strengthened, and blood seemed to ooze out at a slower rate, but as soon as Wisty removed her hands, she returned to her original, terrible condition.

"I'm sorry, girl, but she's beyond help now." Koios sounded almost genuinely sympathetic. Wisty whirled onto him, Katharos already nocked and drawn.

"Tell me one reason I should not just kill you right now," she snarled. Koios shrugged nonchalantly.

"First of all, you can't," he said. "Titans can't die. Second, I'm sure you wouldn't want to waste your friend's last moments."

Wisty trembled as she tried to control her fury. "Why should I trust you?" she demanded harshly. "What is to say you won't attack us at first opportunity?"

Koios laughed. "I would, but I can't. The Ancient Laws forbid me from challenging a mortal. Besides," his face hardened. "My honor would not allow it."

Wisty nearly laughed, except for the horrible situation at hand. Honor? What honor? Ignoring the laughing Titan, Wisty knelt next to Phoebe. The daughter of Ares's eyes were fluttering. Artemis knelt down next to her. Tychi Johnson watched from a distance with a solemn expression, while Luke and Thalia approached her, but a flare of power from Wisty blasted them back.

"Stay _away,_" she snapped. "You don't deserve to be near her."

Ignoring their pained looks, Wisty grasped Phoebe's hand. "Phoebe…" she choked out. "I'm so sorry…"

With difficulty, the Lieutenant focused her eyes on her. "It's not your fault," she coughed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "I am the one who should be sorry. I questioned your honor and purity…"

"No!" Wisty whispered. "You were right. Everything you said was true. You can't trust them. I should've listened to you. If I maybe distance myself from them, none of this would've happened-"

"It's not your fault, Jackson," Phoebe insisted. With a tremendous amount of effort, she redirected her gaze at Artemis. "My lady, grant me one final request…"

"I can try to heal the wound, my Lieutenant," Artemis insisted, but the hopelessness in her voice was obvious. Phoebe smiled and shook her head.

"My time has come," she coughed again. "Have I...served you well?"

Artemis nodded softly. "One of the best," she murmured. "One of the finest of my attendants."

Phoebe closed her eyes. "Not as good as Zoë," she whispered.

Artemis didn't respond, but lowered her head. It was the unspoken truth.

Phoebe smiled. 'But that's okay. Zoë was the best.'

Artemis blinked back tears. She nodded and glanced at Koios. "Grandfather, if you have any sense of honor, allow us to spend her final moments together."

Koios said nothing, but retreated a few steps.

Artemis picked up Phoebe's limp body and carried her outside the cavern. Above them, the stars glimmered brightly. Wisty felt furious. How can something be so beautiful when her best friend was dying?

Phoebe grasped Wisty's hand with surprising strength. "I guess this is...goodbye, Wisty," she rasped. "My lady, I appoint her...as my successor." Another bout of coughing. Her blood splattered onto Wisty's jeans, but she didn't care.

Artemis nodded. A nod that spoke a thousand words. Phoebe relaxed. "Zoë…" she whispered. "I can see Zoë again."

Her eyes fluttered one last time. Then they closed. Forever.

A tear trickled down Artemis's face as she cupped the girl's pale face and whispered something in Ancient Greek. "_υπόλοιπο, κυνηγός μου." Rest, my Hunter._

Phoebe's body shimmered and dissipated into silver dust. Artemis raised her cupped hand, and the dust spiraled up into the skies. Wisty watched with tear-filled eyes as she watched the stars rearrange themselves beside the Huntress. When they finished, they formed the shape of two girls carrying bows, hand in hand, running across the sky together. All that was left on the ground was a silver circlet, glowing a soft silver in the night sky. Artemis picked it up. It shimmered and disappeared.

They trudged back with heavy hearts into the cave, where Koios was leaning on his sword, waiting. "All done saying your goodbyes?" he asked flippantly.

"I'll make you pay, Titan," Wisty said, and the coldness in her voice surprised even herself. "I swear on the Styx, I'll _make you pay."_

Koios looked unimpressed. "Very well, Wisteria Jackson," he drawled. "Come at me."

Luke and Thalia began to move from their position against the wall, but Wisty glared at them harshly. "Stay back," she ordered. "This is our battle, not yours."

With a flare, Kardia appeared in her left hand, Wisty's sword in her right. Artemis dropped into the Hunter's stance, her two hunting knives held out in front of her.

"Let the real battle begin, Grandfather," she said in the hardest voice Wisty had ever heard her use. "A battle to the death."

* * *

Later, Artemis would tell Wisty she fought like a demon. Wisty didn't notice. She was too busy slashing and stabbing at the being that had caused her friend to die.

The power of Hemera surged through her, but it felt controlled this time, not as wild as before. For some reason, Artemis's presence next to her, dodging and weaving around the Titan, seemed to clear her head and restrain the power straining to run rampant in her body. Her senses were sharpened by tenfold, her movements swift and strong, her footsteps steady and even as the duo engaged the Titan in a deadly dance.

"How are you controlling that power?" Koios demanded as he blocked a slash from Wisty with a grunt, only for her to follow up with another from her knife which grazed his chest. "That is impossible! You are not meant to have such control over Hemera's weapons!"

Wisty ignored him. All she was focused on was causing the Titan the same amount of pain he had caused her friend.

Leaning backwards at an impossible, nearly ninety-degree angle, she dodged a horizontal swing from the Titan that would've cleaved her in half. Using that momentum, she backflipped and kicked the Titan in the face, landing on her right foot and immediately pivoted on her heel, delivering a slash across Koios's stomach. He growled in pain as golden ichor soaked his white, designer shirt.

With a snarl, he stabbed his sword at Wisty's midsection. Sidestepping almost contemptuously, she disarmed him using the same maneuver Luke had taught her years ago. His giant sword clattered to the ground as Wisty kicked him in the chest. With a grunt, he fell onto his back only to face four blades pointed straight at his face.

Suddenly, he let out a loud chuckle, taking Wisty aback with surprise. "You fight well, Jackson," he admitted. "It seems I underestimated you."

"Tell me one reason I shouldn't slit your throat," Wisty said coldly, the edge in her voice sharp enough to cut through steel.

Koios had the obnoxiousness to shrug. "No reason," he said. "You beat me in battle."

Wisty stabbed her sword violently into his stomach, causing him to howl in pain. She wrenched it out along with a spurt of ichor. She was about to do it again when Artemis put a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Wisteria," she said quietly.

"I'm going to torture him," Wisty snarled. "I'm going to cause him ten times the pain he caused Phoebe. I'm going to-"

"Wisteria!" Artemis pleaded. "Stop. You are not like him. You are better."

Wisty's sword hovered an inch above the Titan's abdomen.

"Please," Artemis said. "Don't let your rage guide you."

Wisty lowered her sword. "Release Annabeth," she said, swallowing thickly, "and I'll let you go. I swear on the Styx."

Koios coughed out some ichor. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "To release her, you need a sacrifice."

"What sacrifice?" Wisty demanded.

"A life," Koios grinned, showing his ichor-stained teeth. "The life of one with the sea in her blood."

Wisty's blood turned cold. "What?"

"You heard me," Koios laughed. "The blood of the sea. I swear on the Styx it's the only way. Now let me go, Jackson."

Wisty's whole being was frozen in shock. "You planned this," she realized. "You planned this, so if you were defeated, I would have to die too. You planned it all."

Koios nodded, pleased. "I'm glad you understand," he said smugly. "After all, I'm not the Titan of the Mind for nothing. Your fatal flaw would not allow you to leave here without Annabeth - and the only way to do that is to sacrifice yourself. Now, let me go, girl. We had a deal."

Quick as lightning, Wisty slashed her sword across the Titan's throat. He dissolved into golden dust, leaving behind an oversized sword with two different edges.

"I said I'll let you go," she muttered. "To Tartarus."

"Wisteria…" Artemis whispered.

Wisty turned a harsh glare onto Luke and Thalia. "So?" she spat. "It's come down to this, hasn't it? I have to kill myself for Annabeth to be rescued."

They remained silent. "Wisty, don't do this," Artemis pleaded. "Koios might have been lying-"

"No," Wisty whispered. "It's the only way. He swore on the Styx."

"Wisteria," Artemis said sternly. "I forbid you from sacrificing yourself. That is an order-"

"Don't make this harder than it is!" Wisty snapped, then calmed down. "I'm sorry, my lady," she took a deep breath, and pulled her into a kiss.

Artemis tasted of blood, of sweat, but the flavor of wild berries was still there, underneath the surface. Wisty breathed in deeply, taking in her scent one last time. She smelled of dust and sweat and blood and pine trees and forests and a million other smells that Wisty wanted to spend forever, figuring them out one by one, but she couldn't.

"I love you," she murmured against her lips. "I'm sorry."

She pulled away and trudged up to Annabeth's boulder, which was glowing with a grey light. Every step she took seemed to take a whole eternity, every movement of her legs taking her further away from the world. She positioned her sword above her heart. Turning around, she sent one, last longing glance at Artemis's tear-streaked face.

"Goodbye," she whispered. Just as she was about to plunge her own sword into her heart, a hand grabbed her arm. "What-"

"I'll do it," Tychi Johnson announced in his deep, gruff voice.

"You?" Wisty was bewildered. "But you can't. You don't…"

Then it struck her. Her dreams, the woman with green eyes and black hair. _One final battle, _Tychi had said.

"You have Poseidon's blood," she realized. "You're his grandson."

"Indeed," Tychi nodded. "My time is up. You have your destiny to fulfill, youngster. I'm just an old git with no family, no wife, no kids, no nothin'. It's better this way."

"I can't let you do this," Wisty protested. "You weren't even part of this quest in the first place!"

"The Fates showed me my destiny, long ago," he said. "As I said, my time's up. Step away." He shoved Wisty gently towards Artemis, who caught her dazed body in an embrace. She buried her head in the goddess's shoulder, unwilling to look, as she heard the sickening sound of a sword sinking into the demigod's heart.

A grey flare from behind them lit up the whole cavern. The ceiling and walls rumbled, and Wisty was afraid it would collapse before the shaking finally stopped. The glow died, and Wisty finally had the courage to glance back. Tychi's body was no more, and Annabeth was in a crumpled heap on the ground. Luke and Thalia ran towards her and gingerly picked up her broken body.

"Annabeth," Luke breathed. "Oh, gods-"

He was about to run outside when he noticed Wisty. The pair of demigods stopped. Wisty stared at them impassively.

"Wisty, I'm sorry," Luke muttered.

"_Sorry?_" Wisty finally exploded. Something inside her stomach shattered like glass. Her body flickered with a harsh glow as she rounded on her former friends. "_Sorry _doesn't cut it. You made a deal with a Titan. A _Titan! _How could you trust him?"

"Wisty, we-" Thalia began, but Wisty switched her glare onto her.

"You were planning to use me to get Annabeth? Fine! You could have told me, I would've gone along with it. You didn't even have the decency to _tell _me, and your stupidness ended up getting my friend and an innocent demigod killed!" Wisty screamed. "Phoebe _died, _and it's because of you two."

"Wisty, calm down-"

"Is Annabeth your family?" she demanded. "What do you think she would say, if she knew that you planned to use me to rescue her? Am I not _family _enough for you?"

"Wisty, please," Thalia begged, but Wisty ignored her.

"I get it," she snapped harshly. "I'm not part of your family. Annabeth is more important than me because she's been with you for longer. I get it."

"No, it's not like that-"

"Just, be quiet," Wisty whispered, the glow dying from around her in an instant. She felt empty inside, as if a huge chunk of her suddenly went missing. Her anger slowly turned into sadness and grief. The shattered glass inside her was beginning to repair itself, smoothing on the edges. "Take Annabeth, and leave. Don't talk to me."

Wordlessly, the duo carried Annabeth down the mountain. Wisty stood there stiffly. A cold wind blew through the cave, but Wisty barely felt it. She felt like she deserved it, for letting her friend die, for letting Tychi die, for letting Phoebe die. Zoë. Phoebe. Tychi. All because of her.

Artemis walked up from behind her and pulled her into an embrace. "I thought I was going to lose you forever," she whispered. The warmth radiating from her goddess's body comforted her to a slight degree. Wisty buried her face in the crook of her neck as Artemis rubbed comforting circles on her back.

"Don't say anything," she pleaded, but it was no use. Artemis kissed the top of her head comfortingly.

"There is no shame in crying," she said quietly, and the dam broke loose. Tears streamed down from Wisty's eyes uncontrollably. Great, terrible sobs racked her body as she wept into her goddess's shoulder. Her eyes stung with hot tears as she squeezed them shut, hard, in a futile effort to prevent more tears from falling.

Outside, a storm began to brew. Wisty didn't exactly understand how she knew, but she saw the images as clear as a crystal. Dark clouds completely covered the sky within mere minutes. Lightning flashed in the distance, accompanied by deep rumbles of the thunder rolling across the sky. The rain started, and within seconds, it was pouring, thousands upon thousands of gallons of water washing the houses and streets of San Francisco, just as her tears were washing her face.

She wasn't sure how long she cried for, but all throughout this, she held on to Artemis, and Artemis held on to her, whispering consoling words into her ears. Her tears left a wet stain on the goddess's silver shirt, but she didn't seem to notice. For that moment, it was only Wisty, her grief, and Artemis. She began to feel light-headed sometime in between, but the tears didn't stop. They kept coming until finally, she collapsed into the goddess's arms. Darkness overtook her vision as her exhaustion finally overtook her anguish, and she was dragged into unconsciousness.

* * *

Wisty was crowned Lieutenant that night.

Following the whole ordeal, she had slept for hours until midnight, when she joined her silent sisters around the campfire in their grieving. The warmth radiating from the flames did little to relieve the coldness in her heart.

At one point, Artemis presented her with the Lieutenant's tiara. "You will make a fine Lieutenant," she told her. Wisty accepted the silver circlet wordlessly. Any sense of honor and triumph was completely overshadowed by the grief-turned-numbness she felt so deeply in her soul.

They burnt a shroud for Phoebe, just as they had for Zoë. Wisty bowed her head as the silver fabric with the symbol of a boar, in tribute to her parentage, was turned into smoke which lifted into the clear night sky.

At one point during the silence, she couldn't take it anymore. Silently, she slipped away from the fire and headed away from the camp. Hijacking a random silver Jeep, she drove down the roads of San Francisco until she arrived at the docks.

She dug out a few drachmas. She had no idea whether this would work, but she had to try. She needed to get away from San Francisco - a place of bad memories. She needed to think.

She threw five drachmas into the churning ocean. "Father," she prayed. "If you are listening, send me to Maine, on the cliff by Westover Hall. Please."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the sea breeze picked up, and she knew her prayer had been answered.

"Thank you, father," she said, before diving into the ocean. As soon as she was completely submerged, she appeared on a snowy cliff. A black castle loomed threateningly against the horizon, and a dark forest expanded behind her. Wisty trudged to the side of the cliff. The tides rose and fell beneath the cliff as the waning moon shone high up in the sky.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there for, but she felt at peace here. The ocean had always calmed her, and the coldness of the winter night helped numb the ache in her heart. The bright moon shone down on her as she closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air of the winter night.

Luke and Thalia...how could they? Deep down, Wisty knew that they had honest, if not misguided intentions, but she couldn't bring herself to forgive them. The betrayal had left a deep gash in her heart, and she doubted that it would heal any time soon.

It wasn't as if they couldn't have told her - she would have done it without hesitation. Annabeth was one of her closest friends too - she wasn't about to leave her for her own selfishness. But the fact that they didn't trust her enough to inform her of their plan was another wound in itself.

Of course, it had also resulted in the deaths of an innocent demigod and one of Wisty's best friends, despite the short time they have been acquainted. In hindsight, Wisty's temper tantrum seemed incredibly childish - especially when her former Lieutenant's words had been proven correct, at least partially.

But the thing which hurt most - the deepest wound in her heart - was that she understood why they did it. She didn't want to see things from Luke and Thalia's perspective, but years of living and fighting together and for each other made that impossible. They did it because they needed Annabeth. _Needed _her. Needed her much more than they needed Wisty.

With a pang, she realized she no longer belonged in their close-knit group. The good old days - of Luke, Wisty, Annabeth, and later Thalia was gone. She no longer belonged to the demigods, the camp. She was a Hunter now, and with that came the price of loneliness - because she would always be separated from her friends from before, and they would no longer need her, because they had each other. They had something _better _than her.

And by the gods, did that revelation hurt. By Tartarus, did it hurt like _hell._

"Wisteria," a familiar voice sounded from behind her. Wisty turned around slowly to stare at a familiar eighteen-year-old girl with auburn hair and large, silver eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed time to think, my lady," she replied.

"Think," Artemis mused, glancing suspiciously down the cliff. Wisty blinked as she realized what her goddess was concerned about.

"No, no, I'm not planning to do...that," Wisty hurried to assure her. "It's just that this place...it calms me. The ocean, and the moon and the stars, and the cold…"

"I see," Artemis nodded. "What did you want to think about?"

Wisty winced. "Just some...stuff," she muttered. Artemis's eyes softened in understanding.

"I understand, my dear." She sat down in the snow, gesturing for Wisty to do the same. "You mustn't let their deaths weigh you down, Wisteria. You are now Lieutenant. With it comes new responsibilities and new privileges. Especially now, with us at our weakest in centuries, the Hunt cannot afford to have you sulking around."

"I know," Wisty sighed. "It's not just their deaths. It's…"

Artemis hooked an arm around her back, pulling Wisty in. She settled her head on her goddess's shoulder. A moment of silence passed between them.

"You are troubled by the betrayal of your friends," the goddess finally said.

Wisty nodded, unwilling to speak.

"I too cannot believe that the boy and my sister would do such a thing," Artemis admitted. "I would've thought the man who gained Zoë's approval would be better-"

"Please, my lady," Wisty interrupted. "I don't want to talk about it."

Another moment of tense silence settled between the pair. Finally, Artemis broke it again.

"Did you mean it, my dear?" she asked, playing with Wisty's hair.

Wisty understood what she meant. That moment on the mountain, when Wisty was certain she had to die…

"_I love you," _she had said. Three simple yet inexplicably powerful words, perhaps the most powerful words in existence. It was a split-second decision during a moment of urgency, when she had thought she might never see her goddess again. But now that she'd survived, did she really mean it?

What did Artemis mean to her? She thought about the moment she met the goddess. Even in her twelve-year-old form, she radiated an aura of power, but the power wasn't necessarily dangerous. Her silver eyes glowed beautifully yet held an underlying threat, like a poisonous Nightshade flower. She had felt inexplicably _drawn _to the goddess, but she had ignored the feeling up until…

Up until she joined the Hunt, where she had no choice but interact with her goddess on a daily basis. Being around Artemis had only made these feelings develop to a point of bursting, when she had, surprisingly, found out that her goddess returned her affections. Unfortunately, they had barely spent a day together before they were thrust into battle, allowing Wisty no time to ponder their relationship.

Now, she recalled every moment she spent with Artemis. How she was attracted to her stunning yet natural beauty, how the mere presence of the goddess comforted her, how she loved the feeling of Artemis's shoulders. How her silver eyes drew her in, exerting a gravity like the moon in space. How her goddess had adjourned an important strategy meeting just to run after her to comfort her.

She remembered their first kiss, full of hesitance yet passion...and dare she say it, _love. _How Artemis's taste of wild berries and her scent of pine trees and forests after rain had been forever ingrained in her memory.

Maybe she didn't _love _her yet. Love was a commitment too soon made at sixteen.

But she believed she can, with time. Along with that would come pain, tears, and a bucketload of angst. But she believed she can do it.

"I understand if you need some more time, my dear."

"Yes, I think that would be perfect," Wisty said. The disappointment on Artemis's face was evident, but the goddess smiled anyways.

"Very well," she murmured softly. "But you are willing to give it a try?"

"Definitely," Wisty grinned. "As long as you are too.

"I most certainly am," Artemis laughed.

Instead of responding, Wisty pushed the goddess down and kissed her fervently. And...sure, they've shared one or two kisses before, but this was different. Wisty's insides seemed to coil up and heat, like a toaster. They rolled around in the snow, but the coldness was barely registered by Wisty as she was too busy winding her hands into Artemis's auburn locks, breathing in her goddess's scent of forests and pines and enjoying her taste on their lips. Artemis tasted of wild berries, sour and sweet as always, but this time, there was something different about it. There was the taste of grief, of sadness, of a thousand words left unsounded but also of pride, of ardor, of a silent yet resolute hope for the future. Wisty relished the feeling, she savored it, she _loved _it - and she gave in. Her goddess pinned her arms down at her sides as she straddled her, her normally silver eyes dark with hunger and passion and lust and maybe even a _love _of some sorts-

"Let's continue this in privacy, shall we?" Artemis murmured against her lips. "Just you and I and no one else, no prying eyes and ears. To remember...and celebrate."

"To celebrate," Wisty echoed. They would celebrate many things. Celebrate Zoë, Phoebe, and Tychi. Celebrate Jasmine, Melinda, and little Isabelle. They would celebrate the departed.

They will also mourn, for a long time. _Wisty _will mourn, and she will move on. Eventually. She could feel the guilt threatening to break her barriers down like waves crashing against the shore. But that...was good. Because the fallen would not be forgotten, and memories of them would not fade.

Because if she couldn't save her friends, Kronos could be damn well sure she would avenge them.

_fin._

* * *

_This is the end._

_Maybe a little unfair to leave a cliffhanger at the end when the universe is confirmed to be discontinued, but...I did say it could be modified and reused, so..._

_Anyways, if you're looking for more stories by me, my profile page has three main ones: **Sea Girl, En Route to Happiness, **_**and _it's nice to meet you (too). _**_Each is different from the others. All, I feel, are worthwhile. So go check them out!_

_I've been thrilled to be on this ride - I didn't know how many people would actually like this recycled story which I first posted two years ago. Turns out, a decent amount of you. This will always be my first landmark - the first story I finished, my first forage into FanFiction and storytelling in general...it all started from this._

_So, thank you for reading, and I'll (maybe?) see you all next time on another story. **ERtH** will be updated next, then either **Sea Girl **or **it's nice to mee you (too)**. _

_For the last time (for now), Ciao!_


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